A Nobody Worth Remembering
by Ryoko Ishida
Summary: "Ten years ago, I made a mistake. A mistake that I will never forgive myself for; a mistake that turned me against the ones I cared for the most. And I swear, I will NOT make that mistake again. I'll use what I know and help Sora, even at the cost of my own life. I'll make sure no one dies because of me. And if I break the timeline a little bit, who cares? It's my story now."
1. Twilight Town

_**Before you say anything: Yes. I DO KNOW this is my bajillionth story I'm putting out there that will take a while to complete. And yes, I KNOW I have a bunch of other stories I would finish. Yes, they WILL get done. EventuallyBy SOMEBODY. …Moving on.**_

 _ **But I have been playing Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Hd ReMIX, and I started developing a character in my head. One whose ideas I did not want to forget. I either wanted her in this world or in the world of Final Fantasy XIII: Advent Children. In the end, I decided this story. (Mainly because I had already written two chapters. But I digress.) I will say that I plan on starting a Final Fantasy fanfic at some point. But please bear with me. I am a very imaginative person, and because of that I get a lot of good ideas. I am also a very forgetful person, and sometimes forget most if not all of the plot of said ideas.**_

 _ **Also, Reviews, Favorites, and Follows will be greatly appreciated! Each chapter of this story will be a different world. Short world, short chapter. Long world, long chapter. Simple. But it will also be split into two different storylines that merge at different parts. The story for this character of mine goes much deeper thank just Kingdom Hearts 2(.5). So review if you enjoy it, because it keeps me motivated! I may make a Pre-Sequel, but that all depends on how well received this story is. Anyway, please enjoy this story! If there are any questions, I will give them to the best of my ability without spoiling anything that will be spoiled within the first three chapters because I'm just like that. :3 ENJOY!**_

A girl wearing a black cloak sat down on a rock in the Realm of Darkness, her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She sighed as she watched the waves hit the darkened sand. She closed her eyes and lowered her head slowly, her voice coming out in a soft whisper. "How did it come to this…?"

" _Why didn't you tell us?!"_

" _You had all the power in the world to finish this - it started! Thanks to you, M-ter E-s is dead and many worlds are in danger!"_

" _If I didn't, nothing would have turned out like it should! - would have won!"_

" _LEAVE!"_

" _And now, it is your h-rt that shall be the arc that - me!"_

" _NO!"_

" _Te-"_

" _Why?!"_

" _Get out - - way!"_

" _I'm sorry, T-, -us, -u-, I hope… one day I can… set things right...-"_

She gripped her legs tighter and bit her lip as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

She gasped as a dark portal appeared and another like her came out, wearing the exact same coat. The girl scoffed and looked away, quickly pulling her hood over her face. "What do you want?"

"Me? What could make you think I want anything?"

"I highly doubt you of all people would come here for a meet-and-greet."

The man let out a laugh. "You know me so well," he said as he walked over to her, stopping next to the rock. "Alright then, I do want something. I want to help you."

The girl looked at him with a concealed raised eyebrow. "You want what now?"

"I want to help you. We're friends, aren't we? And friends help each other out." She looked away with a frown, wiping her cheeks of the tears.

"Yeah… but that was years ago. People change." The guy sighed. "What?"

"Stop beating yourself up over that. Sure, you made a mistake, but everyone makes them." She looked down sadly for a second before looking forward again.

"Do you know why I trapped myself in here for ten years?" she asked.

He scratched the back of his head. "Well first off it's been eleven years…" he withered slightly at the glare he got. "Eh, no… I don't."

"Because I wanted to punish myself." He looked at her with a frown.

"What did I just say about beating yourself up? From what you've told me, you did the right thing." The girl frowned and looked down.

"But they hate me… And _he_ probably still does…" She buried her face between her chest and her legs with a sigh, feeling tears swelling up. "What if Sora will hate me, too?" The boy sighed and scratched the back of his hood.

"Hey if it makes you feel any better…" he trailed off for a moment as he lowered his arm, "Xemnas doesn't know you're still alive. No one does except me. You'll be able to stay away from the Organization longer." She looked up at him and smiled faintly with a 'thank you'.

"But I'm… shocked, to say the least." The boy looked at her and hummed in confusion. "I told you how you would disappear… and what you will do. Yet you continue to do it. Why?"

The boy sighed and looked back at the ocean. "Well, I'm not too fond of this 'disappearing act' of yours, but I'll be fine. If it was really all that bad you wouldn't have let me continue like this."

She chuckled. "True." She paused. "So how's blondie?" The boy looked at her before looking down.

"He's going to meet him... He thinks I'm dead."

"Well, I can see he didn't succeed…"

"What, you disappointed?" he asked jokingly. She smiled.

"No. I'm just relieved."

The two stayed like that for a while in silence, hearing nothing but the calmness of the waves and the soft whistle of the wind. Finally, he stood straight and created a portal, getting the other's attention. "This portal will bring you to Twilight Town where Sora is." She nodded and jumped off the rock and walked over to said portal. Before she walked in, she turned to the boy with a smile.

"Thank you for understanding."

"Hey, it's what friends do. But you owe me one."

"Hey, relax." She grinned. She raised her hand and tapped her head twice. "I got it memorized." With that, she walked into the portal and it disappeared. The boy chuckled.

"You really are something else…"

 _ **~Realm of Darkness, one year earlier~**_

A dark portal opened up, and a boy wearing a black cloak walked out. He looked at someone sitting on a rock. He walked toward them silently. Before he could say anything, the person spoke.

"So, you've come, Blondie." The voice was a female's. She looked out into the horizon, her face masked, only showing the sad smile on her face. "You know, you remind me of someone… He looks a lot like you."

"Who are you?" The boy asked. She chuckled.

"You sound like him too…" She sighed. "I'm what's left. Or, maybe I'm all there ever was…"

"I meant your name."

"My name is of no importance…" she said almost sadly. She looked down, then turned her head to the boy. "What about you?"

"Huh?"

"Do you remember your true name?"

"My… true name?" he asked in confusion. The girl just looked at the horizon again.

They stayed like that for a few moments. "You're lucky."

The boy turned to her, frowning. "I'm… lucky? How?"

"You'll have a happy ending… You, and the ones closest to your heart." She slowly rested her hand on her chest. The boy stared at her, confused and shocked by what she had said. "So… you never answered me." The boy hummed in question. "Do you remember your true name?" The boy was silent for a minute, then,

"My true name… is…"

 _ **~Twilight Town: Pod Room~**_

Darkness. Darkness was all he could see. How long has it been? He couldn't really tell. But he felt… sleepy. Very, very sleepy. But for some bizarre reason, he couldn't sleep. Maybe it was because he had just woken up. Or maybe it was because of someone calling his name. Either way, he knew he had to get up.

"Sora!"

"Sora?"

The boy blinked open his eyes and watched as the front of his capsule opened up like a blooming flower. He yawned, stretching his arms and back. He looked down at his two laughing friends. He chuckled nervously before jumping out of the pod. He landed on his feet before they buckled and he fell to his knees from being unused for a long time. "Donald! Goofy!" he exclaimed happily. They grabbed each other's hands and jumped in a circle, laughing happily.

Sora stood straight as Jiminy jumped down from his shoulder, explaining that they were asleep as far as he could tell.

"When do ya think we went to sleep?" Goofy asked.

"Let's see," Sora started, "We defeated Ansem… restored peace to the world, found Kairi… Oh! And then we went to find Riku. I think that's right so far."

"What does your journal say, Jiminy?"

He opened his journal to see what was written, but there was only one sentence.

"'Thank Namine.'" He recited. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other.

"You sure there isn't anything else?" Sora asked. Jiminy looked at it again.

"Oh! There's one more. It says, 'I'm sorry.'"

Sora frowned in confusion and looked at his friends, who had the same expression. "I wonder who's sorry." Donald glared at Jiminy.

"Some journal that is!" Donald complained.

"U-uh… Let's say we find out where we are?" Jiminy suggested in hopes of escaping the duck.

 _ **~Twilight Town: Back Alley~**_

Sora stopped walking, looking round. His two companions looked over to him. "You know… I think I've been to this place before." He looked down in thought.

"What's it called?" Donald asked. After a brief silence, Sora shook his head, saying he just imagined it. The three walked into an area behind a cage fence.

The three people already inside looked at the newcomers. The blonde one glared at them. "What do you want?" Sora quickly looked at him.

"Uh, nothing… We were just wondering what was back here."

"Well, now you now. But this is our spot."

The other boy, shorter and a bit chubbier, walked toward Sora. "Umm…"

"What?" Sora asked.

"You're… new around here, right? I'm Pence." While he spoke, the blonde boy walked over to them.

"Hayner, nice to meet you. But we've got stuff to do so, catch ya later." He waved them off as he walked out of the usual spot. The third of the trio, a girl, walked up to them with a smile.

"My name's Olette. Hey did you finish up the summer homework yet? Independent studies are the worst, huh?" she asked.

"Homework?" Sora asked, baffled. He turned to his two companions, who were just as confused as he was.

"Hey, what are your names?" Pence asked.

"Oh sorry! We're Sora, Donald, and Goofy!" Goofy explained as he pointed each out as he said their names. Olette and Pence shared a shocked look before looking to them again.

"Sora, Donald, Goofy, we found someone who was looking for you," Olette said.

"He seemed to be in a hurry, though. He had a black coat on so I couldn't see his face. But… he had these big, round ears!" Pence explained, making two circles over his head to represent the ears.

The main trio looked down in thought before coming to the same conclusion. "The King!" They all nodded to each other before Sora looked at the others.

"Where'd you see him?" Sora asked.

"At the station."

"The station, thanks!"

 _ **~Twilight Town: Sunset Hill~**_

A black portal appeared at the top of the hill as a girl walked out, her black hood covering her face. She looked around, wincing at the bright sunset. She jumped slightly and turned toward the train tracks. She watched as a purple train rode on the tracks toward Station Heights. She sighed. "You had to send me this far away… Ugh." She turned away and talked in a low voice, "This portal will send you to Twilight Town where Sora is! Baka…"

Sighing, she walked down the path and toward the train station, her arms crossed. She stood there for a good five minutes, tapping her foot impatiently.

"HELP!"

She jumped in surprise as she heard a little girl scream. She ran quickly through the area and back toward the hill. She stopped when she saw a little girl backing away from multiple creatures in white. The little girl bumped into the railing and froze, eyes wide in fear.

The woman rushed over and quickly grabbed the girl's arm and jumped away from the creatures. "Run!" she ordered. The little one ran off as the other glared at the creatures. "You never give up…" She thrust her arm back as a bright light flashed, revealing a blue keyblade with a glowing shaft, a round top with spikes shooting out, and a clock in the middle. Its name, **No Name**. She ran forward and slashed at the creatures, killing them all. She sighed and stood straight, her keyblade at her side. She looked down to it with a frown. Closing her eyes, she dispelled the weapon and turned, walking toward the station once more.

"Thanks," the little girl said, stopping her in her tracks. She looked down at her and saw the girl hold out some flowers. She smiled and bent down to her level, taking them.

"I'm glad you're okay."

The child smiled before walking off. The girl frowned sadly, standing straight.

 _ **~Twilight Town: Station Heights~**_

Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked up to the Station tower and looked around. "I don't see him…"

"He should be around here somewhere," Donald said. He suddenly cried out as multiple white creatures surrounded them. The trio stood together, looking at the enemies.

Sora looked at one and saw the strange symbol on its head. For a moment he was confused, as the symbol was different than that of a heartless, but ignored it and summoned his keyblade to fight. After slashing and killing multiple waves of them, he thought it was over. However, more and more appeared and finally he tired out. He and his companions fell into sitting positions.

One of the creatures shuddered and rushed forward. Sora went to block, but after a moment, he realized the hit never came. He looked up to see a small being in a black cloak standing there with a keyblade. He went on all fours and stared in shock. Donald and Goofy saw who had saved him and practically crushed Sora.

"Your Majesty!" they both exclaimed.

Mickey turned his head slightly, but they still couldn't see his face as he shushed them. "You gotta board the train and leave town. The train knows the way." He jumped back and held a small orange pouch out to Sora. "Here."

Sora grabbed the pouch and looked at it. "Your Majesty!" Donald exclaimed. They all looked over to see Mickey running off toward the sandlot.

"The King, was that really him?" Sora asked as he put the pouch away.

"It coulda been… Yep! I know it was!" Goofy exclaimed happily.

"Now we know he's okay!" Donald said happily. Sora looked down with his arms crossed in thought.

"The King was trapped in the realm of darkness, wasn't he?"

"Uh-huh."

"But… we just saw him."

"Yep."

"So, if the King is here…" Sora's eyes widened, "that means Riku's here!"

"He's gotta be!" Donals agreed, nodding his head.

"Well, I'm going to go look for Riku. Kairi's waiting for us to return to the islands." The thought of seeing Kairi again made Sora smile wide. "What are you two going to do?" He knew it was a stupid question to ask by the looks on their faces that clearly said "are you serious?".

"Gawrsh, Sora, do ya have to ask?" Goofy asked. Sora chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Donald glared.

"Your faces!" The two looked at each other and laughed at their expressions. "What do you say, guys? Let's stick together for one more journey!" Donald and Goofy nodded with smiled on their faces. "To… where again?" Sora asked as he put his arms behind his head.

"We hafta board the train," Goffy said.

"Oh yeah!" Sora remembered. Donald sighed in defeat. "Come on!" The three turned and headed inside. They met up with Hayner's gang as Sora bought the tickets. They walked up to the purple train that arrived moments before. As Donald and Goofy walked on board, Sora was stopped by Hayner.

"Hey, are you sure we haven't met before?" Hayner asked. Sora thought for a moment, but said no, and asked why. "I dunno." He shrugged.

Sora smiled at them, but frowned when he felt something on his cheek. When he touched it he realized it was a tear. He quickly rubbed his eyes free of any other tears. When asked what was wrong, he said nothing and told himself to pull it together. He smiled at the ganglionic once again and waved. "Right. See ya!" he said as he walked onto the train. As he put his hand over the button to close the door, he froze with his eyes wide. Dread filled his entire being, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. He shook his head and waved at his friends as the door closed.

 _ **~Twilight Town: Station Heights (Three Minutes Later)~**_

The girl walked off a train that had just appeared. She looked around. "Please tell me I didn't miss it…" She quickly ran down the back alley and toward the sandlot. She stopped and looked around in confusion. "Where is everybody?" she asked herself as she walked toward the middle of the sandlot.

"Yen Sid was right!"

Her eyes widened and she quickly turned to see none other than the King himself, but he did not look happy. "Mickey…"

"It's Your Majesty to you!" he said, "You lost the right to call me that years ago." She looked down sadly.

"Mic- Your Majesty… I never meant to betray you! I know you think I could have stopped it but it would have led to more problems!"

"You could have done something to lessen the blow. Yet you stayed on the sidelines, distancing yourself from the ones who wanted to help. After everything they did for you, you couldn't even lift a finger." She winced, her frown deepening. "Why are you here?" he asked after a long silence.

She looked up at him and, with a determined look despite what was going to happen next, said with a clear voice, "I'm going with Sora and his friends."

"No," he said clearly, crossing his arms.

"Your Majesty, I know you hate me for what I have done, but they need me!"

"They'll be fine on their own." Mickey sighed and turned his head away. "I have given you many opportunities to redeem yourself, but you've gone too far!"

She was silent for the longest time. Finally, she looked at him, and he thought he saw a flash of gold before she suddenly appeared behind him and hit the black of his head with her keyblade. As he fell unconscious, he could hear her speak.

"You're not the only one who hasn't forgiven me… Mickey."


	2. The Mysterious Tower

A bright light flashed as the purple train drove out of a portal and stopped at its destination. The door opened, allowing its three occupants to leave. Sora stopped and looked around in wonder. This place was small, a tall and crooked tower on a small patch of floating land with a few trees and bushes aligning the edge. Sora turned just in time to see the train completely vanish. He chuckled nervously.

"There goes our ride…" Donald and Goofy looked back for a moment to see what he said was indeed true. After a moment, the three walked up to the door to the tower, where someone stood with their back turned to them.

"What's goin' on?" Donald asked.

The guy chuckled. "I sent some of my lackeys inside. To see if this ol' wizard's as big and tough as they say! Word is he's a real powerful sorcerer. Which would make him the perfect bodyguard for me!" he explained without turning around, "You see, it don't matter how strong is, once he's a heartless he'll answer to me!"

"A heartless?!" Donald squawked.

"Yep! And with all these strong heartless by her side, my dear friend Maleficent is gonna conquer everything!" Sora and his friends looked at each other. "And since I got me a debt to pay, I'm goin' to all these different worlds and buildin' an army of heartless, special for her! Oh, why am I talking to you pipsqueaks anyway? Go ahead and scram, I'm behind schedule as it is!"

"Ya outta find somethin' nicer to do!" Goofy reprimanded.

He laughed and turned to them, revealing a very fat cat. "Says who?" His eyes widened in shock at seeing Donald and Goofy. "It's you!"

"Pete?!" Goofy and Donald exclaimed in shock.

"What are you two nimrods doin' here?!" Pete asked, pointing at them.

"What are YOU doing here?" Donald asked back. Sora looked at them in confusion before turning to Goofy.

"You know him?"

"We sure do! Pete's been causin' trouble for ages. His Majesty banished him to another dimension a long time ago. I wonder how he escaped?"

Pete laughed. "You wanna know how, eh? Well, Maleficent busted me out, that's how! And now, your world… No, no, no, all the worlds, are gonna belong to yours truly!" he boasted. "Cause, uh, Maleficent's gonna help me conquer 'em."

"Maleficent, huh?" Sora asked before he and the others burst into fits of laughter.

"What are you three laughin' about? Why, Maleficent's power is so great that-"

"She's toast!" Sora interrupted.

"Huh?!"

"Sorry, but Maleficent can't help ya now," Goofy informed. Pete's eyes grew wide in realization.

"You! So you're the ones who did it!"

Sora placed his hands behind his head with a smug grin. "Well, we might have had something to do with it."

Pete growled in anger, clenching his fists. Finally, he turned to each of his sides and shouted, "Heartless squad! Round up!"

Suddenly, multiple heartless appeared and surrounded Sora, Donald, and Goofy. The two animals took out their respective weapons, a staff and a shield, and charged in. Sora summoned his keyblade shortly after and rushed forward, slicing through the black bodies of the Shadows.

 _ **~Meanwhile, Thousands of Miles Away…~**_

The girl sat on a bench next to a KO'd King Mickey. She was currently looking at a blue star-shaped transporter. She banged her hand against it multiple times. "Come on… work already!" Suddenly, it started glowing, making her smile. "Yes-!" Smoke shot out of the star, right into her face. She coughed multiple times. "Come on! Just take me to that stupid Merlin's house already!" The star started to glow and her eyes widened at her mistake. "No, no, no! I meant Yen Sid!"

A blue light engulfed her and she screamed as it shot her into the air. "YEN SIIIIIDDDD!"

 _ **~The Mysterious Tower~**_

Sora, Donald, and Goofy glared at Pete as they finished the last of the heartless. Pete growled. "You just wait! Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, messes with the nighty Pete!"

"So 'mighty' Pete, who lives in this tower, anyway?" Sora asked.

Pete's eyes widened in shock, before narrowing. "Oh, you don't know, eh? Why it's old Yen Sid. 'Course, he's probably a heartless by now!" Pete smirked, looking up at the tower.

Donald's eyes widened in shock. "Master Yen Sid lives HERE!?" The duck quickly ran into the tower, leaving his friends to deal with Pete. Goofy turned to Sora and explained Donald's excitement. He and Sora rushed into the tower, leaving Pete to stomp in frustration about being forgotten.

The three protagonists fight through countless floors of heartless, getting more and more frustrated. At the second to last floor, they all stopped to catch their breath. Donald stomped his webbed foot onto the ground in anger. "Heartless, heartless, heartless! Things haven't changed one bit!"

"So, does that mean the worlds aren't at peace after all?" Sora asked as he stood from his seat against the wall.

"Only one way to find out." Goofy said, looking at the door. Sora nodded.

"Let's go."

 _ **~Hollow Bastion~**_

Cloud walked through the streets, brooding. He had just been talking with Aerith, and finally got away from her. It's not like he hated her or anything, he just wanted to be alone for a bit. He stopped and leaned against a wall, crossing his arms. He watched as Scrooge McDuck tried to recreate his ice cream. He shook his head and closed his eyes, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment-

"KYAAAAAA!" Someone screamed loudly. Suddenly, Cloud was on his stomach, being crushed by a person in black. He grunted in pain and told the person to get off. "Ow… Ah! I'm sorry!" she exclaimed loudly, quickly getting off him. Cloud stood and rubbed his back, glaring at the girl who was a little shorter than him. She shrunk slightly under his gaze, poking her index fingers together. "Uh… Sorry… About that."

He frowned, crossing his arms. Studying her appearance, Cloud realized he had never seen her before. "Hey, who are you?" he asked. The girl stiffened slightly, her head still down. He heard her mumble something about someone sounding "as emotionless as in the movie", but he decided not to ask.

"Um… I… I can't tell you." He raised an eyebrow, and she elaborated, "Trust me, Cloud, you'll have a much better time if you know little to nothing about me." Cloud sighed.

"Just tell me. My life can't get any worse."

"Is it because of Sephiroth?" she asked without thinking. Cloud snapped his head toward her and she slapped her hands over her mouth. Cloud unfolded his arms and took a step toward her.

"How do you know that name?"

"Uh… I um…" she tried to think of an excuse. "I saw him in Olympus Colliseum… He fought against a strange boy…" Cloud frowned.

"Strange boy?"

"He was wearing read shorts… and he had yellow shoes. I didn't get his name, though…"

"Sora."

"Huh?" she looked at him.

"His name was Sora. I've met him."

"Oh," she said. She looked down for a moment, then back up at him. "What is Sephiroth to you?" she asked in curiosity.

"…He's my other half… my darkness, "he said after a moment's hesitation, "I've been trying to find him so I can finally get rid of the darkness inside me." He looked away angrily.

"…And then what?" Cloud looked at her in confusion, and she looked back. "What will you do after he's destroyed?"

"I… I don't understand…?"

"Cloud, all you've been thinking about is getting rid of your darkness. Nothing else. That's your one goal. So tell me, what plans do you have for when this goal is achieved?" Cloud remained silent. "And even when you do find him and manage to defeat him, what guarantee do you have that he'll stay gone?" Cloud's eyes widened slightly, and he gripped his arms.

"What do you mean?"

"The darkness in one's heart will never go away… If Sephiroth is part of you… is your darkness… then he won't ever disappear. He will always come back. No matter how hard you try." Cloud looked away angrily.

"I don't need some stranger lecturing me."

"But you need _someone_ to say this to you!" she exclaimed. She took a deep breath, then put her hand on his arm covered in a black cloth. He looked at her. "He will never disappear, Cloud. So long as you're alive, the darkness will stay, and so will he. But that doesn't mean you need to stop fighting, okay? Don't take what I'm saying the wrong way."

"Then what ARE you saying?!" he asked angrily.

"Slow down." He froze. "Don't waste your time trying to kill Sephiroth. I know there may be some other reason that you wish to kill him, but it will all be in vain. You don't need to kill Sephiroth to overcome your darkness." She smiled gently. "I'm not asking you to stop. I know I haven't…" Cloud raised a confused eyebrow at that. "But please… Slow down. Talk to the people who want to help you. They can help you." He stared at her silently, even as she turned and took a few steps.

"How do you know so much? …About me?"

She stayed silent.

"Who… are you?" he asked.

She sighed, lifting her head to the sky and staring at the castle. "Someone… who should have never existed in this world." She turned toward Cloud. "Cloud, don't make the same mistakes I did. In the end, all you'll do is hurt yourself and those who care for you." She walked passed him in the direction of the Bailey. But she stopped one last time, turning her head slightly. "And Cloud?"

"Hm?" He turned his head to her.

"I would tell you my name… But… it really would be better if you didn't know. But maybe, after all of this blows over, you and I could be friends?" she looked back at him with a hopeful, yet sad, smile. Cloud stared at her for a moment, then nodded silently. She turned and walked away.

Cloud watched her leave, a frown on his face. "…After what blows over?" After a few more seconds, he asked himself, "And how do you know my name…?"

"Cloud? There you are!" Cloud turned his head toward his friend, Aerith. She walked toward him, and Cloud felt the urge to run off.

" _Slow down. Talk to the people who want to help you. They can help you."_

The girl's words rang in her head, causing him to stand his ground. Aerith stopped in front of him and crossed her arms. "You shouldn't run off like that, Cloud!" she sighed, "Why won't you just let us in? You can't do this all on your own-"

"I know." Aerith stopped talking and frowned. Cloud looked down for a moment before looking at her. "Sorry."

She smiled softly, nodding. "Okay." Despite her outward appearance, she was confused. Was it that girl she passed earlier? Why was Cloud acting like this and not running? Whatever happened, she was glad it did.

 _ **~The Mysterious Tower~**_

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all made it to the top of the tower, where Yen Sid resided (*insert overly dramatic Captain Hook here*). They were instructed on what enemies they would be facing, and exactly how dangerous they were. After being told about who they will encounter, Yen Sid instructed them to go into the other room to get better clothing.

Sora went into the other room and saw three fairies. When he got their attention, they gave him new, better looking clothes. As well as a new form, Valor, that can help him fight against the Organization. With that, he returned to Yen Sid.

He was still sitting on his chair, stroking his beard in thought, and his eyes closed. Sora walked up to the front of the desk and looked at Donald and Goofy in confusion, but they just shook their head. Yen Sid opened his eyes finally and looked at them.

"Sora, there is one other I should warn you about," he said. He swiped his hand and another cloaked figure appeared, the hood up like all the others. The three protagonists turned to it.

"Isn't this the Organization? You already showed us this…?" Sora said in confusion.

"Yes, but the girl before you here is different. She is not with Organization XIII, but she is just as dangerous." The three looked at each other in thought.

"So, what exactly did she do?" Sora asked, looking at Yen Sid.

"This girl was once a friend of King Mickey," he started.

"The King?!" Donald squawked. Yen Sid nodded.

"Unfortunately, that was many years ago." He closed his eyes.

"So, what happened?" Goofy asked.

He sighed. "I cannot recall the details. But what I can say, is that she led her friends to their destruction. And now, because of what she had refused to do, the worlds are once again in peril." Sora frowned, looking down in thought. "For the past ten years, she has been hidden. Only a few times have Mickey and I sensed her presence. But I have recently sensed her in one of the worlds you are bound to visit. Be cautious. For she, too, wields a key."

Sora lowered his arms and summoned the Kingdom Key. He lifted it in front of him and stared at it.

"So she's a Keyblade wielder as well?" Donald asked.

Yen Sid nodded. "During her travels many years ago, she became a Keyblade Master with another friend of hers. However, she was corrupted. Darkness leaked from her heart. And no matter what we did, she kept all her burdens to herself. Inevitably leading to her downfall. She is nothing but a messenger of darkness now. Do not hesitate to attack her."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy all looked at each other in worried thought. Yen Sid stood, getting their attention. He walked over to a moon-shaped window and watched as the Gummi Ship appeared. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran up to the window and saluted to Yen Sid, thanking him. Yen Sid wished them a safe journey.

With that, they left.


	3. Hollow Bastion

Sora, Donald, and Goofy sat inside the Gummi Ship, looking at the worlds, or world, available to them. Sora frowned when he only saw one. "Only one?" he whined.

"Hold on, I think it's one we know." Goofy said. Sora decided to take a closer look, and his eyes lit up.

"Yeah! It's Hollow Bastion!" he turned to the others, "Now we can see Leon and the gang again!"

"Eyup!"

"Then let's go!" Donald said.

 _ **~Hollow Bastion: Merlin's House~**_

"Ah!" The coated-figure exclaimed, jumping away from a spell blasted in her direction. She rolled to her feet and turned to her enemy, then jumped back to avoid another spell. Landing on her feet, she glared at Merlin. "What gives?!"

"Oh, I've heard of you, young lady! You are not welcome in my house."

"Wait! I was just-!" she was interrupted by a spell being shot at her, forcing her to jump to the side.

"Leave!"

"Merlin, what's going on?" The wizard turned to see Yuffie and Leon looking at him in confusion. "Why are you attacking her?"

"This girl is a ruffian! There is something wrong with her! There always was."

"You're not listening! I just need to talk to you!" She sighed, knowing it was useless. She had hoped Yen Sid hadn't said anything to Merlin, but her hopes were too high. She looked up and saw a ship being docked, the Gummi Ship to be precise. The girl frowned, knowing that if she met Sora now, chances are they'd attack her. She looked at Merlin, then to Yuffie and Leon. She looked down sadly. "Fine… I see how it is…" She stood straight, looking at Merlin. "You think you know so much about me, don't you? From what you heard from Yen Sid and the King."

Merlin was silent.

"Well let me tell you something…" She grabbed part of her hood and raised it slightly, showing her right eye. "I made a big sacrifice that day…" Merlin, Yuffie, and Leon gasped. "And one day… I will set things right." She lowered her hood again. "I just need time. That's all."

Merlin stared at her for a moment, then slowly, but hesitantly, lowered his wand. She smiled thankfully at him, and he nodded back. She turned from him and held her hand out. Nothing. She sighed in aggravation.

"Stupid thing will never work for me…" she mumbled. Everyone quickly whipped their heads toward the town, where fighting was going down. "Oh no…"

"Yuffie, go see what's going on." Leon said as he went inside the house. Yuffie nodded and ran toward the commotion. The mystery girl started to walk away, but Merlin stopped her.

"Merlin, please let me go-!" Her eyes widened as a burst of magic blew her hood off her face, revealing it. She and Merlin stood in shock, looking at each other.

"How… how did you get like that?" he asked.

"I…" she tried to come up with an excuse. Something to keep him from knowing the truth. Unfortunately, her mind went blank. She sighed, closing her eyes. She looked around. "Not here…" she whispered, turning to Merlin. "Let's go somewhere else."

Merlin raised a questionable eyebrow.

"Look, I know you don't trust me. I wouldn't either considering what I look like. But PLEASE! I can't let Sora know about me. Not yet! I was hoping to find him before he talked with Yen Sid but I couldn't!" Merlin stood there for a few moments, which was like torture for the girl. Finally, Merlin agreed, and they walked off to discuss this matter privately. They turned the corner just as Sora walked by.

Merlin and she sat in the Zero District, looking at each other. "So… How did you get to look like that?" He asked.

She looked down for a moment, then looked at him, her right eye brimmed with gold. "It all started with a man named Xehanort…"

 _ **~Hollow Bastion: Sora~**_

Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked through the town, trying to find Leon and the gang. They suddenly stopped when a white… thing appeared from the ground.

"What is that thing?" Donald asked.

"That's the town's defense mechanism!" The three turned and saw Yuffie standing on a block.

"Yufie!" Sora exclaimed.

Yuffie smiled at him, then her eyes widened. "Look out!"

Suddenly, multiple Dusk nobodies shot out from the ground. Sora quickly summoned his Keyblade, charging in to defeat the creatures. With the help of Donald and Goofy, they defeated the Dusks and Yuffie jumped down.

"Hey guys! I see you're still in top form."

Sora punched his chest. "Well what did you expect? Looks like you're going okay!"

"Well what did _you_ expect?" she responded, smiling happily. She looked at Donald as he asked,

"How are the others?"

"Great!"

"Hey, Yuffie, we're looking for a couple friends of ours, Riku and the King. Have you seen 'em?"

She shook her head and took a few steps in the direction of the house, her back to them. "Nope." She didn't see them deflate. "But we did see some weird girl wearing a black coat…"

The three boys gave each other a quick glance before turning back to Yuffie. "A girl? Did you catch her name?"

"Nope. But when Leon and I got there, Merlin was attacking her."

"Where is she now? Can we see her?"

"Sora! She's dangerous!" Donald scolded, but he was ignored.

"Sorry, she left. Said she wanted to talk to Merlin. But man, she was weird…" she mumbled as Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked over to her.

"What do you mean?" Goofy asked.

Yuffie turned to them. "Her eye… it was so… unnatural. We couldn't see her left eye or the rest of her face, but she moved her hood enough for us to see one… golden eye," Yuffie shuddered, and the boys shared a look. "It was creepy…"

"A gold… eye?" Sora asked to himself.

"Anyway, you should follow me. We had a feeling we'd see you guys again. Come on!" she smiled, turned, and ran toward Merlin's house.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy followed Yuffie into the house. She gestured toward three people by a computer. "Meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" she exclaimed happily, getting the three's attention.

The three by the computer turned around, revealing Cid, Leon, and Aerith.

"You made it!" Aerith exclaimed happily.

"Well, if you ain't in top form?" Cid said.

"I knew it." Leon said simply.

"Knew what?" Sora asked as they walked up to him.

"Well, a couple days ago, everyone remembered you at the exact same time."

"You… remembered?" Sora asked. He thought for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Wait, does that mean you forgot about us?!"

"So, where have you guys been this whole time?" Yuffie asked, hoping to change the subject. It worked.

"We were sleepin'," Goofy answered.

"Where? In cold storage?" Cid asked. Sora, Donald, and Goofy all acted nervously, knowing just how true Cid's statement was.

"It doesn't matter. This is great. Everyone's together again!" Aerith smiled.

"So um… We're trying to find Riku and the King. Have you seen 'em?" Sora asked hopefully. The Committee members shook their heads, and Sora sighed. "Alright…"

"Sorry, but if there is anything we can do, don't hesitate to ask." Sora turned to Aerith and smiled, nodding.

"Okay. Thanks." He suddenly jumped back when Cid got up in his face.

"Don't go thankin' us just yet!"

"Hollow Bastion's got a problem. A big one." Leon stated simply.

Sora looked over Cid's shoulder. "You mean, like, Heartless and Nobodies?"

"Exactly."

"Sounds like you really need our help," Sora stated simply.

"Then let's cut to the chase," Leon said as he stood straight, lowering his arms to his sides, "Sora, Donald, Goofy, we were hoping you guys could give us a hand around here." Sora pat his chest proudly with a smirk on his face.

"You think we're going to say no?" Leon stared at him for a moment before shaking his head with a faint smile.

"…I forgot who I'm dealing with…"

"Hey! What do you mean by that?!" Donald glared.

"Just think of it as a sort of… 'Leon Compliment'," Aerith explained, as Leon walked to the front door and opened it.

"Follow me to the Bailey – there's something you need to see." With that, he left.

Sora nodded to his friends before turning and walking to the door. Before they could leave, however, Merlin appeared in a puff of white smoke with sparks. "Ah! There you are! Right on time, I see."

"Merlin!"

"Hey Merlin," Yuffie exclaimed, "They said they can help out!"

"Splendid! We'll count on you!"

"Right!" The three said.

"Ah, almost forgot. Did you give them the cards, dear?" Merlin asked Aerith. She gasped and reached into her dress pocket. She pulled out three purple cards and handed one to Donald, Goofy, and Sora.

"Membership cards!" Donald exclaimed.

"They're presents. Leon thought you might like them." Aerith smiled.

"Awesome! Thanks Le—ahh?" Sor turned to see Leon gone. His eyes widened. "Crap! We're supposed to be at the Bailey!" With that, he took off. Or tried to, at least. Merlin stopped him and scolded him about not practicing his magic. He gave him a spell, then let him leave.

"Hey Merlin, what happened to that girl you talked to?" Yuffie asked, getting everyone's attention.

"Girl?" Aerith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, there was a strange girl we saw right before I found Sora," she nodded to Aerith. Yuffie turned to Merlin, "So, did you get her name?"

"Oh, I knew her name," Merlin said, "I had promised her, however, not to tell anyone until the time is right. I ask that you not say anything about her. Sora and his friends already know of her," Merlin said that last part when Yuffie opened her mouth.

"So, where is she now?" Cid asked. The old wizard smiled.

"She went to find our brooding friend." Aerith frowned.

"Cloud? But why?" Yuffie asked in confusion.

Merlin turned from his friends, putting a hand on his beard and stroking it a bit. "She wanted him to meet an old friend…" Aerith looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Merlin, there is another reason, isn't there?"

"Ah, there is. But what that reason is, I do not know. But we can trust her." The three others looked concerned, but decided to trust Merlin. "Oh, and Cid, I need you to do me a favor."

 _ **~Hollow Bastion: Castle Gate~**_

The girl walked down the steps, looking around for Cloud. Finally, she spotted him facing the castle. He had his arms crossed and he was by the edge of the path. She stared at him silently for a few moments before walking over. "You know, I meant what I said." Cloud turned his head and watched as she walked up to him and stopped by his left shoulder, looking at the castle. He looked forward.

"I know. But I just…" She smiled, already knowing what he was going to say. "It's funny, really…" She hummed in question, tilting her head slightly. "I feel like… like I can trust you. Even though I've never known you."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Cloud looked at her. "I've been there… The whole time, Cloud. These past ten years, I've been watching." She chuckled, "Sorry that sounded wrong." Cloud shook his head in amusement.

"I guess, it's because you know what I'm going through. Having to face your darkness. Having it run rampant."

"Or maybe I'm just that good at making friends with the strangest people." She chuckled, only to get a confused glance from Cloud. "…Cloud?" she asked after a brief silence.

"Hm?"

"Do you remember that girl? The one who came to Olympus that one day, many years ago?" she asked, "You know. Long, red hair? Wore a red outfit… Don't you remember?" Cloud stared at her, his eyes slowly widening. "The one who used to hang out with you and Zack all the time? Before she went her separate way, of course."

"You…"

"…That's why you can trust me, Cloud. You were my best friend back then… Even after a short amount of time…" She smiled sadly. "I didn't want to leave… but a friend of mine was in trouble…"

"I…-"

"I was laced with guilt, ya know?" she said, ignoring him. Her eye were glazed over, not like he could see, as she relived her memories. "I… I didn't want him to disappear… I would have hated myself even more… My darkness… Keeping my feelings inside and built up… These things led to me being… whatever the hell I am now." She shook her head. "I just-" Her eyes widened as she felt a hand practically bruising her shoulder. She looked toward Cloud.

"You… Do you know how angry Zack and I were?! Because you just up and disappeared in the middle of the night? Without any note or anything! And then you have the guts to come back to me?!"

She stiffened, her eyes wide.

"After what you pulled… my darkness grew out of control… It became sentient, creating Sephiroth."

"Cloud, I-"

"I left Olympus and came here, in search of Sephiroth AND you."

"…Sorry."

Cloud sighed. She looked down. "Why didn't you let us go with you?!"

She clenched her fists, just barely keeping herself from whipping her hood off. "If I had let you come with me, I could have gotten you killed! I managed to only save one friend, and that was at the cost of my life!" She turned away and wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the ground. She stiffened when Cloud put a hand on her shoulder, and readied herself for her humiliation.

"…What happened to you?" He asked calmly. She was shocked, but said nothing about that.

"…I saved a friend, just like I had said."

"Where is this friend?"

"In a place only I know about. He and another friend tried to save me… I had to fight back. I couldn't let them do that. I became a nobody after that. Staying in the shadows, until the time was right. I faked my own death." Cloud was silent for a while after that, so she decided to change the subject. "Cloud, when was the last time you had seen Zack?"

Cloud was slightly startled by the question, but said, "I don't know… I left not long after you did."

"I see…" She put her hood back on and turned to him. "Would you like to see him again?" His eyes widened. When he asked how, she smiled. "I asked Merlin for a favor. We're going to be traveling by Gummi Ship. Don't worry, I know how to drive it," she added as a last thought. Cloud frowned and looked away. "What?"

"It would feel so weird… just leaving. Aerith… Cid… Tifa… Leon—"

"You don't pay attention to them, right?" she interrupted, "If they're that important to you, then why do you push them away?"

"I—"

"They're your friends, and you toss them aside like trash!"

"That's not—"

"You're scared, aren't you?" she asked forcibly. "Well let me ask you something, Cloud. Are you afraid of being hurt or being alone? Are you afraid of repeating your mistakes, or making new ones? What, Cloud? What are you so afraid of!?"

"I'm afraid of hurting them!" he yelled out. She took a step away from him as she had gotten closer as she talked. She stared at him as he took a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt them… They're my closest friends…" He clenched his fists tightly in frustration, his head bent down. "When you left, I… I couldn't bear to lose another…"

She smiled sadly. "Now you know…"

"Huh?"

She smiled softly as he lifted his head to look at her. "Why I had to leave. If I had let the man succeed, you, and Zack, and my other friends would have been killed. I couldn't let that happen." Cloud looked down, then away. He froze for a moment then looked at her when he wrapped an arm around his cloth-covered one. "Come on, let's go meet an old friend." She smiled as she dragged him (only slightly against his will) towards Merlin's house. She skidded to a stop, though, when she heard multiple laughs. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Cloud asked, turning serious at her frightened tone. The girl quickly grabbed his hand and led him to a hiding spot. She looked up at saw six men in black coats. She bit her lip. Cloud looked up and saw them as well. He recognized that they wore the same coat as her and he sent her a raised eyebrow.

She turned to him and talked in a whisper. "Okay, I know what you're thinking, but let's get something straight." She points to them, "THEY are evil." She pointed to herself, "I am good." She pointed back to them. Specifically, the leader. "HE and I have a complicated story."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say, we're each part of a whole." He raised an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes. She looked down, placing a hand on her silent chest. "Please Cloud, I'll tell you when the time comes. But… I just can't bring up those memories… Especially with _him_ here…" Cloud narrowed his eyes, obviously having questions, yet he knew she wouldn't answer no matter how hard he pushed. However, there was one question he was _dying_ to know:

' _What happened to you, Sayomi?'_


	4. Olympus Colosseum

_**It's about 1am… Might as well write, right? XD**_

"So… you're really leaving?" Leon pushed himself from the wall and looked at Cloud, his arms crossed.

"Yeah."

Cloud looked over at Aerith as she walked over, a frown on her face. She closed her eyes, then smiled kindly at him. "Be safe, okay, Cloud?" Cloud paused for a moment, then nodded.

"You're… not mad?" he asked.

"Of course not," she replied.

"We're not going to keep you trapped here, Cloud," Cid said, "Just don't get yourself killed." Cloud nodded slightly.

"Ooh! You're so lucky!" Yuffie whined. "You get to go on an adventure while we have to stay here!"

"Sorry, but you're needed here." Everyone turned to see the cloaked girl walk out of a back room. She was no longer wearing a black cloak. She was still wearing a cloak, yes, but it was black and white (think Xemnas final battle), and had a Nobody symbol on her chest. The hood was still on, and she stopped next to Cloud. She turned to Leon, who looked worried. "Don't worry, Leon. When Hollow Bastion is in the worst of times, we will return." She placed her hand on her chest. "I promise you."

Leon looked at Cloud, who nodded, then looked back at her. "Alright."

She smiled, then turned to Cloud. "Are you ready to go?" He nodded.

"Don't go messin' up my ship, you hear me?" Cid asked.

"We won't," Cloud responded monotonously. He turned to her. "Come on."

"Okay." She and he turned to leave, but Merlin stopped her. Cloud looked back, but she told him to go ahead. "Merlin?"

"Ah, sorry, but there was one other thing I wished to give you." When she raised an eyebrow, he took something out of his pocket and handed it to her. A Keychain. "What's this…?"

"Think of this as a sort of present. From all of us," Aerith explained, "We were really happy because Cloud was finally talking to someone. He's finally breaking out of his shell, even if it's just a tiny bit. We want to help him, which means helping you." The girl looked at the keychain and smiled widely.

"Thank you very much."

"Not a problem, my dear. And we promise not to say a single thing about you." She smiled at him thankfully.

"Sayomi."

She turned to the door to see Cloud. "Right, sorry." She smiled and turned to the rest of the committee. "Well, see ya!" Sayomi turned and ran over to Cloud, and they both left.

"Sayomi… That's her name, right?" Aerith asked, looking thoughtful.

"Yeah, why?" Yuffie asked. Aerith shook her head, a smile appearing as she stared at the door.

"It's nothing."

 _ **~Gummi Ship: Sayomi and Cloud~**_

Cloud walked into the ship's Hub, sitting down on the right seat and turning the ship on. Sayomi came in not too long after and sat on the seat next to him. She made sure everything was functioning. "So," Cloud said, "You know how to fly this thing."

"More or less," she replied, "I mean, it's been a while since I've driven one of these things. But I think I remember…" she mumbled the last part.

"Sid is going to kill you if you're reckless with his ship," Cloud stated. Sayomi glared at him from beneath her hood, but said nothing. Cloud looked over at her. "You can take off that hood now, you know. It' not like anyone else is going to see you." Sayomi sighed, stopping what she was doing to put her hands on her lap.

"That's not it… I just…" she grabbed the top of the hood with one hand, "I don't want anyone to see me like this… even you." Cloud frowned, but said nothing else as they shot off into space.

The ride went smoothly, well as smoothly as it could be when they had to fight Nobodies and Heartless in between worlds. "Hey, Cloud?" Cloud "hm'd" in response. There was a silence, then Sayomi shook her head with a faint smile. "Nevermind… It's nothing." Cloud stared at her for a moment, then decided not to ask and just let it go for now.

Sometime during their journey, Cloud had dozed off. Sayomi smiled softly at his sleeping form, then looked down sadly. She flipped on auto-pilot and stood, walking over to the back. She walked into the bathroom and stopped in front of the mirror, turning to it. The silence was deafening to her, but she was used to it. Being locked in the Realm of Darkness with nothing to do does that to a person.

She clenched her fists tightly in concealed anger. She sighed deeply and slowly moved her hand to remove her hood… and looked up. She stared sadly at her reflection, moving her hand to the mirror and touching it right under her right, gold eye. Closing her eyes, she recalled a memory… one she would rather forget.

" _T-!"_

" _V-, -ua, Sayomi, now!"_

 _Three people jumped into the air and slashed a large monster, destroying it and making it fade away. Sayomi turned, her red ponytail whipping her face from how fast she turned, and ran over to her three friends. Their faces were a blur, but that did not matter to her. She grinned at the smaller boy, and he grinned back with a slight blush._

" _Got 'im!" The elder boy said._

" _We make a good team." The girl smiled happily._

" _Sure do!" Sayomi grinned widely, twirling her Keyblade before resting it on her shoulder._

" _Oh!" The boy exclaimed, getting their attention. "I almost forgot! I got these tickets!" he explained as he took out four tickets. Sayomi leaned forward to read one._

" _Disney Town?" Her eyes widened and sparkled. "Oh my God! I've always wanted to go!" she squealed and jumped up and down. The other three looked at her and chuckled. The young boy handed each of them a pass and put away his own. The two eldest smiled and put theirs away as well._

" _Thank you." They said. Suddenly, the girl frowned and looked at Sayomi and the boy._

" _Listen to me, Sayomi, -. We need to get you home."_

" _What? Why?" the boy asked._

" _It's not safe here," she said, "You could get hurt."_

" _You too, Sayomi," the girl turned to the older boy, both frowning._

" _No way! I've wanted to do this my whole life!"_

" _Besides, the guy in the mask is history!" What the younger boy said triggered something in the other, and he grabbed his shoulder._

" _You saw the boy in the mask? Both of you?!" he looked between him and Sayomi, and both nodded silently with wide eyes. The older boy looked away. "V-ta-." He let go of the shoulder and stood straight. "You two, go home immediately."_

" _No way! I wanna go with you guys!"_

" _No, V-. This task we have is dangerous. I don't want you hurt." The girl turned to the boy._

" _And what is this dangerous task? That doesn't sound like the task the Master gave you."_

" _I know it's a different route, but I am fighting my darkness. And I promise you I will win." Sayomi looked away from them with a worried and sad expression, which was only noticed by the younger boy, but he chose not to say anything. Sayomi looked back at them, realizing she missed part of the conversation. "So, you've been spying on me? Is that what you were told to do? Master's orders?"_

" _He was only trying to…" the girl looked away sadly, not knowing how to explain. Sayomi frowned and looked at the boy._

" _-a, please, she didn't mean any harm… I—"_

" _How would you know, Sayomi?" The girl stiffened slightly. "You… you knew, didn't you? You knew the Master didn't trust me. You knew about my struggle. You spied on me too, didn't you?"_

 _Sayomi's eyes widened. "Wha—No! I would never do that!"_

 _The oldest shook his head, not wanting to hear it, and turned away. "Fine. I get it." He started walking away._

" _Terra-!"_

" _JUST STAY PUT!" The boy's, now known as Terra's, booming voice stopped the younger boy from getting any closer. The boy's eyes widened in fear and shock. "I'm on my own now, all right?" With that, he started to walk away._

" _Terra, wait! Please, the Master has no reason to distrust you! Honest! He was just worried!" The girl cried, trying to explain, but to no avail as Terra walked away. When he left, the remaining boy turned to her._

" _You're awful…"_

 _Sayomi stayed silent as they exchanged words, then the boy ran off. She watched him run with a sad look on her face, then looked down. When she looked up again, the other girl had left to do something else. She clenched her fists in anger._

Sayomi whipped her eyes open in shock, staring at herself in the mirror, but not focusing. _'His name… I remember it… Why?'_

She looked down in thought, then sifted through her pocket for a moment before touching something. She took it out and stared at it. It was a star-shaped charm colored red. It looked like stained glass, and had a silver heart-shape symbol in the middle. It was tied to a brown rope at the top. She squeezed it tightly as a tear fell onto one of the edges. "Terra…"

Suddenly, the ship jolted, shaking her out of her stupor. She stuffed the charm back in her pocket, pulled her hood back up, and ran to the cockpit.

When she got there, Cloud was still asleep, making her internally shake her head. She looked out the window to see Olympus Colosseum. Her eyes widened and she ran to the window, slamming her hands down on the control board and jolting Cloud awake. He rubbed the back of his head and looked at Sayomi. "The hell?"

"We're here! Cloud, look!" she exclaimed happily, pointing to the world. When he looked his eyes widened slightly. Sayomi lowered her hand and looked at the world happily. "It's been so long…"

"Are you ready?" Cloud asked, turning to her. She looked at him silently, then looked down.

"I think so. I just hope Zack doesn't murder me…" she sighed, lowering her head. Cloud stared at her for a moment, moving his hand to pat her back, but stopped before he made contact. He sighed quietly and lowered his arm and stood.

"Let's go." He turned and walked to the transporter. Sayomi nodded and followed. They were teleported to the outer gate of the Colosseum. Sayomi shivered slightly and Cloud looked at her questionably. She chuckled and scratched the back of her head.

"Sorry… Not used to teleporting…"

"And you think I am?"

"…Good point…" she mumbled, turning away. She heard footsteps and looked to see Cloud walking to the gate. He stopped and looked back at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well?"

Sayomi gulped and followed him as Cloud opened the doors and walked through. The two friends walked through the small courtyard, noting every small change made from their childhood. When they got to the actual entrance, Sayomi froze up again, but not as bad. She walked slower, and Cloud noticed. He sighed and turned to her again. "What are you doing?"

"Walking."

"Yeah, like a snail. Don't forget, you're the one who suggested we come here."

"Because I thought I could handle it! Don't tell me you're not nervous, either!" Cloud shook his head calmly.

"I am nervous."

"Yet you're walking around like you own the place!"

"Because I know Zack won't be angry at me. He knows why I left. You, however…" He turned away and there was a stretch of silence before, "You're screwed."

"Thanks, jerk…" she mumbled angrily. She looked at the gates, her anger melting into worry. Yeah, Zack was going to kill her. Well, not kill her, but it would be better than what he would do, she was sure. She gulped and took steps forward until she was next to Cloud. She took a deep breath. "Okay… I'm ready." Cloud pushed the door slightly, but stopped when Sayomi put a hand on his bicep.

"Hm?"

"If I die, you can have my coat… It'll make you less emo." Cloud's eye twitched slightly, but he nodded and pushed the door open. The two walked into the lobby and looked around.

"Hm? Where's goat-guy?"

"Goat-guy? Really?"

"What?" she looked at him innocently. He just shook his head and walked to the three trophies on the side. He grabbed the blue one and looked at it with a raised eyebrow.

"Can't believe they still have these…"

"Hm?" Sayomi walked over and stared at them with wide eyes. "Our trophies…" _'That's right… The three of us made these trophies during our free time… Cloud's was blue, Zack's was yellow, and mine was red… But… why would they keep them?'_

"Earth to Sayomi!" Cloud's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she looked at him sheepishly.

"Sorry about that…" Cloud shook his head and put the trophy back in its rightful spot. Suddenly the ground shook and a loud roar was heard.

"What the-?!"

"Sounds like someone's in the middle of a fight…"

"Want to check it out? I want to see how Herc was doing!" Sayomi exclaimed. Cloud shook his head.

"We should wait. Don't want him distracted." Sayomi sighed.

"Fine… Hey, I'm gonna go back outside. Tell me when the match finishes, okay?" When Cloud nodded, Sayomi ran out to the courtyard, closing the door behind her.

She took a deep breath and walked to the center of the area, looking around at the large, empty area, save a few pots and chests. She smiled softly, remembering all the friends and memories she had here. Friends she abandoned… and memories she wanted to throw away. Her smile turned into a frown. "Nothing's really changed, huh?"

"Nope. Sorry to break it to ya, kid, but nothing ever will."

Sayomi's eyes widened considerably and she got into a defensive stance, summoning out her Keyblade. She knew that voice. And oh God, how she HATED that voice!

"Hey, come on, kid. Don't be like that." A hand rested itself on Sayomi's shoulder, making her stiffen. She quickly turned and jumped back to see Hades.

"Hades! I knew it was you," she growled out, gripping her Keyblade tighter.

Hades held his hands up in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa. Calm down, kiddo."

"Calm down? You expect me to be calm in front of the one who possessed Zack?" She ran forward and swung her blade at him, but it only went through smoke. She stood straight and turned to her left to see him pop out again.

"And here I am wanting to ask how an old friend was. What a pity. What a shame!"

"I'm not your friend!"

Hades snapped his fingers and he reappeared behind Sayomi, placing an arm around her shoulders and getting close to her. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, my sweet little rose. After all, us creatures of the dark should stay together."

Sayomi looked at him in shock. "How do you know about that?"

"Why get all caught up in the details?" Hades questioned. Sayomi sighed.

"You're so annoying…"

Hades drew back and placed a hand over his heart. "Oh, you wound me."

After a moment, the girl turned to him. "You did keep the promise, right?"

Hades waved her off. "Yeah, yeah. Stay away from Mr. Wannabe Hero. But you have to remember your own side of the deal, remember?" The girl stiffened and frowned.

"I know… Do you a favor."

Hades grinned. "That's right! And when I have the favor, I'll give ya a call. Alright?" He chuckled. Sayomi nodded silently. "That's a good girl! Now I better get goin'. Wouldn't want your little boyfriend to see me, eh?"

"HADES!" Sayomi yelled in anger as Hades disappeared in a puff of smoke. She growled angrily. "I'm gonna kill that God…" She heard the doors open and turned to see Cloud.

"Everything alright?" he asked. She nodded and walked over to him. "The battle's over."

"…Who was fighting?"

"You have two guesses," he said simply. The way he said it made Sayomi deflate.

"Oh no…" She looked down, letting her hands droop to the ground.

"He's waiting." She looked up at him in fear. She stood straight and looked at the intimidating doors, her gold eye showing slightly. She looked down and clenched her fists before walking forward. Cloud followed and closed the door after him. She started to slow down, but Cloud put a hand on her back, forcing her forward.

"Wha-Hey!" She looked back at his hand and tried to fight back, but he pushed her forward into the colosseum, making her stumble. "Gah!" She hit something hard and fell back on her butt. "Oww… Who put a boulder in the way-uhhh…" As she was talking she had looked up, straight into Zack's _ *****_ face. He was looking at her silently, which made her immediately shrink back and fidget her fighers. "Uh… I-I uh…" She felt a hand grab her arm and pull her up to her feet, but she kept her head down. The hand didn't let go. "Uh… I just, um… You see, I uh…-"

"Sai?" Sayomi stiffened. "Is that really you?" His voice seemed guarded, but there was an underlying tone of happiness.

"…Y-yes…" she mumbled, but he heard it loud and clear. Before he could do anything, though, she started to speak. "I'm sorry… I really am. I-I know I left without saying anything or leaving a note behind but it was really important and I had other friends that needed help and I knew that you and Cloud would be safe I mean come on it's not like you guys are weaklings and you guys aren't exactly pushovers either I am truly very sorry I didn't mean to make it seem like I abandoned you for no reason I just-" Before she could say anymore she was pulled into a tight hug, making her eyes widen as she stiffened even more.

"…You're back… You're finally back…" he whispered. Sayomi blinked and looked at him in shock as he started to laugh. "I can't believe it! Both of my best friends are back!" Sayomi stared at him silently for a few moments, then slowly wrapped her arms around him to return the hug.

Zack pulled away a minute later, a bright smile in his face. After nearly eleven years, he sees his best friends, both of them, in the flesh! Yeah, he had seen Cloud a year ago, but it was briefly and he would keep to himself. When he talked to Cloud a few minutes ago, he was overjoyed he was talking to him! And when Cloud had told him he found Sayomi, he was shocked, but happy. Yeah, he was also angry, but who wouldn't be when their friend left for seemingly no reason?

He broke out of his thoughts when Sayomi asked him a question. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked. She sighed and shook her head.

"I see you haven't changed… You're still an airhead…"

"Hey, I resent that!" Zack exclaimed. The girl shook her head.

"Why…?"

"Huh?" Zack raised a confused eyebrow.

"Why aren't you mad…? Why aren't you screaming or yelling at me?" She looked up. I practically abandoned you." Zack smiled and shook his head.

"Nah, it's fine. I figured you were up to something important. Though I do have to admit, I was angry when you didn't turn up for ten years…"

"Sorry…"

"Hey, no harm, no foul. Speaking of which…" Zack trailed off as he walked over to Cloud. He smirked and crossed his arms triumphantly. "Pay up, Spikey."

"Huh?" Sayomi asked in confusion.

"Oh… Right…" Cloud mumbled slightly as he took out his wallet and gave Cloud 5,000 munny. Zack grinned happily, putting his own wallet away.

"Awe yeah!" Zack exclaimed in joy. Sayomi stood there in complete confusion, her expression hidden by the darkness of her hood.

"Uh… What?" Zack and Cloud turned to her.

"Oh! Cloud and I made a bet a while after you left."

Sayomi crossed her arms. "And what _was_ this bet about, Zack?" Her tone of voice caused Zack to shrink a bit.

"We bet about whether or not you would return. The winner would get 5,000 munny." As Zack spoke, Sayomi would nod again and again. Once he finished, she lowered her arms.

"So… let me get this straight…" She started walking toward them. "When I left, you both placed a _bet_ of _5,000 munny_ on whether or not I would _return to you guys_ …" The two nodded each time she put emphasis on something, then realized what she was getting at. Zack moved out of the way as she moved toward Cloud, who was starting to look worried. She pointed at him, her finger inches from his face. "And YOU bet that I WOULDN'T return?! Thanks a lot!" Cloud took a step back, raising his hands hesitantly as she started ratting him out. "Some friend YOU are! You know I was doing something important!"

Cloud looked to Zack for help, but he just shook his head. "You're on your own, buddy."

After Cloud was scolded by Sayomi for who knows how long, Zack convinced the two to stay the night. However, not all of it went as planned.

Sayomi quietly walked through the halls, making extra careful when she passed by Zack's room and Cloud's room. She eventually reached the front door and opened it, wincing when it screeched. She walked out of the building and got to the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, she summoned her Keyblade and started walking again, but she didn't get very far.

"So, are you leaving again?" Her eyes widened in shock and she froze. "Just like that?"

Sayomi lowered her head and stood straight. "Zack, I… I have to go." Zack stood behind her, his arms crossed and a frown on his face. He was not happy, and she could tell.

"So you just leave in the middle of the night?" he asked as he walked toward her. "I thought you were sorry you did that before. Was it all a lie?"

"Of course it wasn't!" She turned to him, her Keyblade gripped tightly in her hand. "But if I had gone in the day, you two wouldn't let me leave!"

"You're right. We wouldn't." Zack and Sayomi turned to see Cloud walking over to them, looking angry, which was a shock to the other two seeing as how Cloud is usually emotionless. "Do you honestly expect us to let you leave all by yourself again? The last time that happened, we didn't see you for eleven years." Sayomi looked down.

Zack put a hand on her shoulder. "Which is why we're coming with you." The girl looked up at them, the hood hiding her shock.

"W-what…?" she choked on her words. Zack smiled.

"You think we're going to let you go on a dangerous quest without us? Gimme a break, Sai! Besides, I've always wanted to go on an adventure," Zack said as his grin grew. Sayomi's eyes widened.

"B-but…"

"You're not getting rid of us as easily as before, Sai," Cloud said, using the same nickname Zack used. Unlike Zack, who used it all the time, he only used it when he was serious about something.

Zack walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I guess you're stuck with us now. No use trying to fight!" She looked between the two boys and realized what he said was true. She sighed in defeat.

"Fine…"

"Good! But, there is one thing I've wanted to ask…" Cloud and Sayomi turned to Zack questionably.

"What?" she asked.

"Why do you have the hood on? We're your friends, so you don't have to hide." Zack realized he must have said something wrong, as she deflated completely, hanging her head. Cloud tugged him to the side rather harshly, which confused him even more. "Was it something I said?" he asked quietly to Cloud.

The boy shook his head. "For some reason, she doesn't want anyone to see what she looks like… Not even me." Zack seemed shocked about this, but Cloud ignored his look and continued, "I tried to get her to take it off, but she wouldn't." They both looked over to her.

"So something must have happened to her…" Zack muttered to himself. "And it must've been pretty bad to make her not want to talk to you about it. After all, you two were pretty close…"

"That was eleven years ago, Zack. That's in the past. Let that go."

"Just because it's in the past doesn't mean it's gone forever. I guess it seems she can attest to that." Zack sighed and put his hands on his hips. "She needs to relax… Ever since we've known her she's been tense, but this… this is just ridiculous."

"Come on, Zack," Cloud said as he walked back to Sayomi. Zack followed.

Sayomi watched as they came back. "Are you ready?" she asked once they stopped. When they nodded, she pointed her Keyblade up to the sky.

"What are you-?" Zack started to ask, but stopped when a beam shot up out of the keyblade and into the sky. His eyes widened when the beam grew, and engulfed all of them. When the light dimmed and disappeared, they were on their Gummi Ship. "Whoa! Cool!" Zack stated in shock, the widest smile ever on his face as he ran through the ship and touching things he shouldn't touch.

"Zack."

"Yeah?"

"Touch anything more and I will kill you." Zack gulped and sat in one of the seats in the cockpit as Sayomi sighed. "Alright, I'll let you handle the guns with Cloud, and I'll handle the piloting."

"Sweet!"

"Ra help us all…" Sayomi sighed, rubbing her temple as they shot off into space.

 _ **18 pages… Geez!**_

 _ ***Anyway, I never said anything about Zack's actual outfit, or what he looks like. Basically, he looks like what he was at the beginning of**_ **Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core** _ **. But he has the large Buster Sword he had at the end.**_

 _ **Why does Sayomi know Zack and Cloud? What happened to make her leave so suddenly? What was this "Deal" Hades had talked about? And why was Sayomi so scared about Zack dying, and not about Cloud?**_

 _ **And why does Sayomi keep her appearance hidden from everyone, including those closest to her? What had caused her to hide from everyone?**_


	5. The Archipelago

_**Hello, Everyone! I apologize for my disappearance for like… a year or two… or something. I decided a while ago to continue this story next, but I wanted to finish a few chapters before I uploaded this one. Aside from this one, there are two others. One of them's only 4-5 pages, while the other is… well, MUCH longer. Anyway, I apologize again. This world isn't one that was in Kingdom Hearts or any of the games, but I was really into these movies and I have a really cool 'creature' that I got from SoD that makes its debut here! So, without further ado… Welcome to the next chapter!**_

 _ **~Inside the Gummi Ship Cockpit~**_

"So where to now?" Zack asked as he leaned back in his chair, arms resting behind his head. The three friends were sitting in the cockpit of the Gummi Ship, and were flying aimlessly through space. Or so they thought.

"I've got a place in mind," Sayomi replied, steering the vessel.

"Mind filling us in?" Cloud asked their silent companion. Sayomi smirked a bit.

"Nah. It'd be more fun to watch your reactions," she said without looking at him. Cloud and Zack exchanged worried glances before looking forward again.

Slowly, a new world grew bigger and bigger as they got closer to it. At the top of the world appeared to be a village with a large rock formation behind it, a lone house at its peak. At the bottom, however, was a volcano covered in darkness, surrounded by eerie mist. Water separated the two islands.

Sayomi couldn't help but grin at the world in front of her. This was, by far, her favorite world to visit, despite being further off the grid than the other worlds. She knew she had to take a small detour here to meet an old friend, but also knew that Sora and his friends would never come here, which was a shame. She turned to her friends to see their confused but excited faces, though Cloud was a bit more skeptical.

"I haven't seen this world before…" he muttered.

"That's because it's a world far from all the others. Not many people know of it. As far as I know, i'm the only one who has ever gone to it." A deep frown formed on her face. "But I sense a dark presence here…" her tone became serious, putting the two boys on edge. After a moment, Sayomi looked back at the world, then nodded. "Let's go."

 _ **~Within the wilderness behind the village. (A few weeks prior)~**_

A small, lanky boy walked through the woods, looking down at his book that held in it a simple map of the area. X's were marked all around it, as if he were searching for something. Taking a deep breath, he looked up to see nothing but trees in front of him.

He let out a disappointed sigh, then turned and continued walking, marking another X on the map. Frustrated, he scratched out the entire map before shutting it and putting it away. "Oh, the gods hate me…" he muttered to himself as he kicked a pebble that was in his path, "some people lose their knife, or a mug… No, not me. I manage to lose an entire DRAGON?!"

In his frustration, he swung at a branch, only to have it come back and hit him in the head. "Ow!" He winced, rubbing his wound, but something quickly caught his eye. Looking up, he noticed a thick, downed tree. He followed its path and noticed a path of destruction, the dirt having a trail dug into it like something big and heavy slid through.

Curious, the boy followed the trail, careful not to slip, and looked up the small hill. He immediately drew back when he saw a black mass on the ground. Shocked, he took out his knife and slowly made his way toward the downed beast. His eyes widened at the sight of the dragon tangled in a net of rope, unmoving.

"Oh wow.. I-I-I did it! Oh, this fixes everything! YES!" he exclaimed in pure joy. He took a step forward and placed his foot on the black dragon's body, striking a heroic pose. "I have brought down this mighty beas-Ah!" He falls back when the animal suddenly moved, causing him to stumble until his back hits a rock. He stares in fear at the dragon as it's chest moved up and down to show it's still alive.

He slowly walked toward it, his knife shakily pointed at it. He looks at the dragon from tail to head. But when he reached its head, he was shocked to find it staring coldly at him, its eyes slitted in fury. The boy gulped in fear, staring at the eyes for a moment before looking at its chest. "I'm gonna kill you dragon…" he said, his tone serious, "I'm gonna… I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father." He steeled himself for the kill, fixing his grip on the dagger. "I'm a Viking… I'M A VIKING!" he yelled at the beast.

After taking one more deep breath, he closed his eyes and raised the knife above his head. Against his better judgement, he opened one eye a bit and caught sight of the dragon's, its eye still slitted, as if silently pleading. The Viking shook his head and closed his eyes again, re-raising the knife. The dragon closed its eye and lowered its head in defeat, waiting for the killing blow.

The boy tried again to kill the beast. After a moment, however, he lowered the dagger to rest on his head, still held in his hands, his head hanging in defeat. He slid his hands to his side and stared at the downed dragon, taking a step back. "I did this…" he whispered to himself. He turned to walk away, but stopped to look back at the trapped dragon. He closed his eyes and sighed in defeat…

The dragon's eye snapped open, quickly whipping toward where the human boy was as he cut the rope holding the dragon. Once he cut the third rope, the dragon shot up and pinned him against the rock. The boy gasped as he now stared straight into the unforgiving eyes of the Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death Itself. He closed his eyes as it reared back and opened its mouth, preparing for the blow.

"HRRRAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUHHHGGG!"

A loud roar ripped through the air as the dragon screeched in the boy's ears before flying off, slamming into rocks and trees before disappearing into the fog. The small boy breathed out heavily, slowly standing. He turned to walk away, but didn't go more than two steps before passing out.

 _ **~Within the cove in the forest~**_

After that encounter, the boy continued to return to the dragon, who was now trapped inside a cove. Over time, they bonded together, becoming best friends. The boy helped the dragon to fly, and the dragon helped the boy from being lonely.

"Alright, Toothless," the boy said to his dragon, "I'll be back shortly, okay? Then we'll really test what that fin could do!" Toothless warbled in reply as his friend climbed the rocky path out of the cove.

With nothing better to do, the dragon created a small circle of burnt ground and rested under the shade of a large tree.

 _ **~Elsewhere in the woods~**_

A beam of light shot down from the sky before quickly disappearing, revealing Sayomi, Zack, and Cloud. However, their appearances were different.

Sayomi had on a dark blue long-sleeved tunic that ended below the waist with a hood that shadowed the top half of her face from view. Thin brown straps wrapped around her sleeves from her wrist to her shoulder, then wrapping around her chest and back in an X shape. She had on a sleeveless, open brown fur vest that ended a little above her feet and had two pockets hidden within the fur. A few locks of her red hair were resting on her chest. She also had skin-tight black pants and fur boots.

Zack did not have much changed. His shirt became a tunic of the same color, which went a bit lower than his belt. His boots became fur instead of leather, and his belt now had the picture of a dragon on it. He was also given a fur vest, though it is much shorter than Sayomi's.

Cloud has a black high-collar tunic with only one sleeve, and a black fur vest. He has black pants and dark gray fur boots. His silver lion pendant is pinned where it usually is, but now on the vest.

Zack and Cloud looked at their new attire, admiring them for what they are, then Zack turned to Sayomi. "Hey, why do you get the cool fur cloak?" he said in jealousy.

"Because I was wearing a cloak before. I based our appearances here for what we wore before," she explained with a smirk at the now-sulking boy. She turned away and looked around. Without warning, she started walking away from the two boys. They quickly caught up to her and the three trekked through the foliage until arriving at a large cave. Sayomi stared at it in thought for a moment before putting her hands to her mouth and letting out a whistle, the sound reverberating on the walls of the cave, going deeper and deeper.

"So, this is where your old friend lives? Not in the village?" Zack asked. Sayomi let out a chuckle, confusing the boys.

"Oh no, definitely not."

"Why?" Cloud asked this time.

"Because they'd kill him if he even got close."

This greatly concerned the two males. Why would they kill him? If he's some sort of thief or villain, then it could get ugly.

A low would came from deep within the cave, reaching the ears of the others easily. "Uh… What was that?" Zack asked, his voice concerned but also betraying his fear. He and Cloud reached for their weapons, but a look from Sayomi told them to back down. The sound came again, louder this time. Was that… growling?

Suddenly, a gray and blue blur shot toward them and tackled Sayomi, causing her to go flying back, barely missing the boys. The two turned, their weapons out and ready to fight when-

"Hey! Knock it off-Hahaha!"

THAT stopped them in their tracks. Zack's eyes widened comically, his jaw dropped in pure shock. "... Sayomi?" Cloud questioned.

On top of Sayomi, somehow not crushing her, was a large... four-winged… "Dragon?!" Zack exclaimed, stepping back in shock.

Said dragon got off of Sayomi and turned to the boys, its owl-esque head tilting in curiosity. Its main body was a silver-gray color with soft purple accents on its back and crest. Its wings had a beautiful blue coloring to them.

Sayomi stood up, brushing herself off, then turned to her two wary friends. She cleared her throat. "Zack, Cloud, meet Ghostwing," she introduced, gesturing to the dragon. "Ghostwing, meet Zack and Cloud."

Ghostwing walked toward the two, seemingly just as wary as the humans. He walked up to Cloud first, as he was the closest. He lifted himself slightly to tower over the blond as he studied him. Cloud stared back into the beast's slitted eyes, and was surprised when they dilated to show he was peaceful. Before Cloud could do anything, the large beast swiftly made his way to Zack, who was backing up a bit more until his back hit the rock of the cave. He raised his hands slightly in defense as Ghostwing stared at him. Zack looked at Sayomi or Cloud for help, but Sayomi just chuckled whole Cloud shrugged. Zack looked back at Ghostwing, and was also surprised when his pupils dilated, mesmerized by the beast.

Ghostwing stepped back and stared at the two once more. His eyes moved upward and he suddenly made strange noises before regurgitating the bottom halves of two fish, the slimy food landing by their feet.

"Eugh…" Zack shuddered. Cloud didn't look to pleased either, having to take a step back to prevent the spit-fish from getting on his shoes. Cloud heard snickering and turned to Sayomi with a small glare.

"What's so funny?"

"Uh… Cloud?" Said boy turned to Zack, who was pointing at the dragon. Sure enough, Ghostwing was sitting there patiently, as if waiting for something. After a few confused glances and seconds of awkward silence, the beast snorted, rolling his eyes, and nudged the fish in their direction with his head. Zack's eyes, as well as Cloud's, widened in horror, realization dawning on them.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Cloud muttered in annoyance, turning to Sayomi for any help. To his chagrin, Sayomi was only standing there with a crap-eating grin, her arms crossed as she waited.

"Well?" she ushered, "Don't keep him waiting."

Sighing, Cloud picked up the fish, mentally shuddering at the feel of it. Zack also picked it up, but he outwardly shuddered, holding it as far from him as possible. Cloud looked at the fish, thinking of every way he could kill Sayomi for not helping them out of the situation.

With heavy hearts, and queasy stomachs, Cloud and Zack bit into the fish. As soon as he did, Zack immediately turned green, but managed to hold it down. He smiled stiffly at the dragon, who only responded with a heavily-accented gulp. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Oph cofmh murn... (Oh come on…)" Steeling himself, he gulped it down, having to put a hand on his mouth before he could puke. He gulped it back down and shuddered. "Ugh… blegh…" he glared angrily at Sayomi, who whistled innocently.

When Zack turned to Cloud, he was surprised when his friend looked completely fine, albeit a little bit squeamish. He did just eat a raw, slimy, dragon-spit infested fish, after all. "H-how… How can you be so unaffected?!" he exclaimed, "It's not fair!" Cloud turned to him calmly.

"Trust me, Zack. I've had Aerith's cooking. I've become almost immune to gross food."

"Well that's okay," Sayomi spoke, walking over and placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder, "Zack's reaction more than makes up for it."

"Hey!"

Ignoring his protests, Sayomi turned to Ghostwing, who tilted his head when she looked at him. "Well?" she asked him. Ghostwing looked at the two boys for a long moment, then snorted a puff of fire that hit the boy's faces, singing their hair slightly but not enough to cause them harm. Sayomi grins. "He likes ya."

Zack, who by now had gotten over the fish (for now), looked at the dragon in awe, raising his hand up to touch him. The dragon met him halfway, placing his nose on his hand. Cloud and Sayomi watched the two as Zack gushed about becoming friends with a true dragon.

"So… what kind of dragon is he?" Cloud asked, his arms crossed and his stoic expression returning.

"He's what's known, in this world, as a Stormcutter dragon. One of the rarest breeds out there," she explained, "To my knowledge, only one other person has bonded with a Stormcutter."

Cloud raised an eyebrow at her words, but was unable to continue the talk when she walked back over to the other two. He watched as she and Zack pet the large dragon, that was almost two heads taller than her when sitting up. He let a small smile form on his face as he watched her fool around. Unfortunately, that didn't last.

"I hear something! Over here!"

The four of them froze, hearing the gruff voice followed by footsteps that gradually got was the most worried.

"Not good… They must've seen the light when we landed," she muttered, quickly thinking up a plan and turning to her companions. "Ghostwing, take Zack and Cloud to the cove. It's not that far, but it'll keep them away from you," she ordered, the dragon nodding in reply and bending so the two could get on. Cloud and Zack exchanged worried looks before turning to Sayomi.

"Sai, we can help-"

"No, please… They're not bad people. They just have a feud with dragons, is all," she reassured them, "Don't worry, I'll try to get to the cove when I can. They won't hurt me, but they'll hurt you if they see you."

Sighing, Cloud relented and got onto the back of the dragon. He noticed Zack hadn't gotten on yet and frowned. "Zack."

Zack looked at him, then at Sayomi. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"

She nodded with a smile. "Yeah. If you see a boy there, tell him that I sent you, okay?" she asked as Zack got on the dragon. "And whatever you do, do not fight him." Without waiting for an answer, she nodded to Ghostwing and he swiftly took off, flying to the cove. Rustles were heard and lights broke through the dark of the night as the men made their way closer.

Multiple burly men shot out of the foliage, torches and weapons in hand as they rushed and surrounded Sayomi. The girl remained standing there, letting the men surround her, her mouth put into a frown.

A couple men grunted and moved back as the largest of them pushed his way through until he was face-to-face with the hooded two stood in silence for a long couple second before,

"Who are you?" the man asked, a thick Scottish accent in his voice, as he glared at the island's intruder. "And why are you here?"

She was quiet for a moment, then smiled softly, a surprise to the large man. "That's really mean of you, Chief. How could you forget about me?" The Chief's eyes widened in shock.

"That voice… can it be?"

Ghostwing weaved through the trees, being extra cautious due to the people on his back. He hid his lower set of wings so it would be easier to maneuver the small spaces. Eventually he found the cove and hovered over it for a moment, allowing the men on his back to see it and giving him time to stretch out his second pair of wings.

"Woah…" Zack whispered. Cloud only looked on in silence, but even he had to admit that he was amazed at the beauty of the cove.

Ghostwing looked back at them with a smile before flying down and landing gracefully on the ground by the water, allowing the two to get off.

Zack took a couple steps forward and looked around once more, watching a small flock of birds fly off and past a thick trunk. However, something caught his eye. He took a cautious step forward and his eyes narrowed as he tried to see what that was. "What _is_ that?" he muttered, getting Cloud's and Ghostwing's attention.

Ghostwing started to growl at the black mass and Cloud frowned in concern. "Zack, come back." Zack started to back up slowly, but that didn't sit well for whatever was down there.

With a loud roar, a sleek dragon, black as night, rushed toward them speedily. Cloud put his hand on his sword but he was stopped by Zack. "Don't!"

The dragon pounced, but was stopped by Ghostwing, who got between them. The black dragon stopped in front of him and growled while the larger of the two roared in defiance. The small dragon backed down slightly, but was still glaring at the two humans that dared to come in.

Cloud lowered his hand from his weapon and glared back, though not as hard. Zack was looking between both dragons with worry, but figured he and Cloud would be safe for a while. "Sayomi mentioned a boy… but I don't see a boy anywhere," the blonde muttered, unaware of the smaller dragon staring at him.

After a while of waiting, they decided to get some rest. With Ghostwing guarding them, they rested by a boulder far from the other dragon, waiting for their friend to return.

 _ **~Village of Berk~**_

"So where have you been this whole time?"

After being reminded of who she was, the Chief brought her back to his house. He was sitting on the seat in front of the fire, while she was standing next to the fire, staring at the flames with crossed arms and a serious face.

She looked down. "Stoick," she muttered, "I've made many mistakes. I've been trying to remedy them." She turned to him with a sad smile. "I'm sorry I disappeared without notice, but I needed to find my friends and try and fix the wrongs I've committed."

The Chief, now identified as Stoick, sat back in his seat and rubbed his large beard in thought, staring at the flames as well. "When you left, Hiccup was devastated. He would often disappear into the woods, and not come back for hours." He looked up at her, their eyes meeting. "He took it hard."

She frowned deeply and looked away, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry… I seem to be having that effect on everyone. Please, believe me when I say that I didn't mean to be gone so long." Her voice held true regret and sadness, which was not lost on Stoick. He seemed to consider this.

Stoick closed his eyes in thought for a minute before making up his mind. He stared at Sayomi. "You must be tired… Do you have a place to stay?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Alright. Make sure you talk to my son tomorrow, alright?" he asked. She agreed and left them house with a wave, walking into the forest (stealing a bag of fish on the way). She stumbled a bit, but was able to make it to the cove. By that point, the sun was starting to rise. The sky took on a lighter shade of blue as the sun made its appearance. Sayomi smiled at the orb of fire before looking back to her path.

She eased her way down the walls of the cove and looked around. She turned around and saw Zack and Cloud resting against a rock in sitting positions, fast asleep. She smiled fondly at them. _'Those two don't know how lucky they are… Even Cloud…'_ Her smile turned into a frown as she thought. She looked away and walked over to the pond, not noticing that Cloud had awoken.

She grabbed some sticks and, with the help of Ghostwing, created a makeshift fire. Sayomi was in the midst of cooking some of the fish she took when Cloud walked over.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he sat down next to her, propping up one knee to rest an arm. Sayomi looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Confusion laced her tone.

Cloud sighed. "You can't hide from me, you know that. I've had enough experience with doing that myself to know when you do it."

Sayomi frowned at that, lowering her head slightly. "...Cloud…" she stared at the small fire as she spoke, "I've made so many mistakes… I've lost my home, I've lost my family… I've hurt my friends in the worst way possible… All because I was too caught up in my excitement to travel and my own ambitions." she hung her head with a sigh, and Cloud slowly realized how much of a burden she carries because of her actions. "How… How can I fix what I've done?" She looks up at Cloud. "I had numerous chances to change everything… To save them. But I… I just couldn't do anything…" Her head hung again.

Cloud frowned at her, then looked up at the sky in silence. "...All of us have done things we're not proud of, things we can't take back."

"Not the kind of encouragement I need here, Cloud…"

"But…" he said with a small glare for her interruption, "That doesn't mean your should mope around."

"Like you do?"

"Do you want my encouragement or not?"

"THAT was supposed to be encouragement?!"

"Shut up."

Sayomi let out a chuckle. "I miss this… being able to talk and banter with you guys normally… It's been so long since I talked to anyone." Cloud frowned at that.

"You know, you never told me where you were those past few years…" he pointed out. Sayomi shrugged.

"It doesn't seem so important…"

"It is to me." Sayomi looked at him with a surprised look. "And Zack. We both care about you, Sayomi. If we didn't, we wouldn't have come with you."

Sayomi stared at him for a moment, then smiled a bit. "Thank you…" She looked down at the fish again, and the turned to Zack when she heard him get up, Cloud following her line of sight.

The black-haired male yawned and stretched as he stood up. "What's up, lovebirds?"

"Lovebirds?" Sayomi questioned in confusion. She couldn't ask what he meant since he was knocked out via rock to the head courtesy of Cloud.

"By the way, did you guys meet Toothless?" she asked, much to Cloud's confusion.

"Toothless?"

As if on cue, an angry growl was heard. Sayomi stood and looked at the angry black dragon, but she didn't look afraid. After bending down and grabbing an uncooked fish, she made her way to the beast slowly. Cloud watched.

"Hey, bud," she said to him, making her way over. He continued to growl, but didn't make any move to hurt her. She stopped when she was in front of him and knelt down. She held the fish out for him, and he accepted it. She smiled softly. They suddenly heard a thud and everyone (minus Zack, who was still unconscious) turned to see a lanky Viking with a strange contraption in his arms. He looked extremely confused.

"Uh… w-who are you guys?" he asked warily, distrust in his eyes. Sayomi grinned at him.

"You don't remember me? That hurts, Hiccup…" she said in a hurt voice frowning.

Hiccup's eyes slowly widened in recognition. "S-Sayomi?!" he exclaimed in shock. She grinned wider.

"The very same-oof!" She took a step back to steady herself and looked down at Hiccup, who had hugged her tightly. Her surprised look turned to a smile and she hugged back. "Good to see you too, Hic."

"Where've you been?! You've been gone so long…" he mumbled.

"I'm sorry. But I promised to return, didn't I? Id never go back on my promises." Hiccup smiled at this, then broke the hug and turned to the two boys.

"Are they some of your friends?"

"Yep. The brooding one is Cloud." She ignored his glare and pointed to the other. "And that's Zack."

"Is… is he okay?" Hiccup asked, realizing he was out cold.

"He'll be fine. He's handled worse," Cloud said gruffly.

Though Hiccup didn't seem convinced, he let it go. "So, what are you doing back?" Sayomi grinned and gestured to Ghostwing, who was playing with Toothless. Hiccup's eyes widened in shock at seeing the strange dragon.

"I came to retrieve a friend of mine."

"Woah…"

"This is Ghostwing. A Stormcutter I rescued and kept here for safekeeping," as she spoke, Ghostwing stalked up to them and nudged his head under her hand, purring when she rubbed his crest softly. "I knew if I brought him on my journey, he might not be safe…" she frowned, "but now I need him to-"

She suddenly stopped talking, eyes wide. This got the attention of the others, including Zack as he woke up. They all heard an inhuman screech echo through the woods before a large dragon shot out of the trees and hovered over the group. Hiccup stared up at it in fear and wonder. "What... is that?"

"Sayomi?" Zack turned to his friend, who look just as shocked.

"No… they shouldn't have come this off the grid…" she mumbled to herself, then her eyes narrowed, and she turned to her friends. Zack, Cloud, try to keep it off me. Ghostwing, stay here," she ordered. The boys nodded and rushes toward the dragon-esque beast. With the monster busy, she turned to her next priority.

"Wait. What's going on? Why are you hurting that dragon?" Hiccup asked, worried and confused. She put her hands on his shoulders, grasping them tightly.

"Hiccup, I can't explain it fully right now, but that dragon is very dangerous, and you need to get out of here." Hiccup frowned, not believing his ears.

"Then we can tame it!" he exclaimed, "I've tamed the strongest and most feared dragon on Berk!"

"But this one's different!" Sayomi spoke to him, hoping it would get it through his thick skull. "I know you love dragons. I do, too. But this one is beyond reason."

With no time to continue speaking, she pushed him toward Toothless and jumped onto Ghostwing, standing on his back. When she did, he took off to pursue the Heartless dragon. It swatted Zack away as he swiped at it. "Zack, Cloud, switch!" The boys jumped away from the Heartless, allowing Sayomi full reign.

She summoned her Keyblade and readied herself. When she got close enough, she pointed the Keyblade at it. "Thunder!" Thunder rolled and electricity shot out of the Keyblade, striking the dragon and causing it to screech in pain. While it was temporarily paralyzed, she swiped at it again and again, wearing it down. She raised her Keyblade to strike the beast down when...

"STOP!"

She stopped mid-swing, turning her head to look at Hiccup, confused. She opened her mouth the speak, but was whipped off her dragon by the Heartless's tail. She cried out in pain as she slammed into the wall of the cove.

"Sayomi!" Cloud and Zack exclaimed.

Ghostwing roared and attacked the Heartless by shooting a column of spiraling fire out of his mouth and engulfing the enemy in flames.

"Sayomi!" Cloud rushed over to her, lifting her up slightly, but stopped when she stiffened and hissed in pain. Zack stood behind Cloud and frowned deeply. "She's hurt. Really hurt."

"I-I'm fine…" she ground out, using Cloud's arm to hoist her up. He helped her stand, but she pushed him away slightly, saying she could stand on her own.

A loud screech was heard right before the Heartless fell from the sky, dissipating when it hit the flew down to the three and landed in front of Sayomi, warbling in worry. The girl smiled softly and pet his head while also subtly leaning on him. "I'm fine. Don't worry." Ghostwing nudged her happily, pupils dilated.

"Sayomi…" Said girl looked over at Hiccup. Who had a worried look on his face. She quickly frowned in anger and she stalked toward Hiccup, who started looking worried for a different reason.

"What in the holy name of Sailor Moon on ice skates was that?!"

"I-I just…"

"Why did you stop me?!"

Hiccup frowned. "Because you shouldn't kill dragons! We need to befriend them! Bond with them! Not kill the first dragon that tries to kill you!"

"That wasn't a dragon!"

"Yes it was!"

"No it… Ugh…" she took a deep breath. "Hiccup, not every dragon can be trained. And certainly not one like that."

"But not all of them have to be killed," he replied with equal seriousness, not backing down either.

Sayomi huffed at him "Hiccup! This isn't a game!" he flinched slightly at her tone, and she sighed. "I know you don't want to kill dragons. Do you think I want to? I have a dragon, too, and I would never hurt him or Toothless."

"Wait, how did you know Toothless' name?" he asked in confusion.

"That's not important right now! Hiccup, you need to learn that sometime in your life, you're going to have to kill a dragon. And when that time comes, you'll understand." She wanted to continue. She wanted him to understand. But she felt her strength fading from the wound she received.

Thankfully Cloud got to her right as her legs gave way, and grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling. "Come on, we should go back to the ship." His voice was even, but if one listened closely there was anger in it.

She nodded reluctantly and looked at Hiccup, who was both angry and sad, but didn't let it show. "Think about what I said, Hiccup." With that, she, Cloud, Zack, and Ghostwing made their way out of the cove and to where they first landed.

Summoning her Keyblade, she pointed it into the air and a beam of light shot down, engulfing them. In the next moment, they were gone.

 _ **~Inside the Gummi Ship~**_

When they reappeared inside the ship, Cloud quickly brought her into her room while Zack brought the dragon to another room, one with much more space.

Cloud gently sat her on her bed, but the pain still shot through her body, making her groan. "I would say to show me your wound, but that would involve…" Sayomi rolled her eyes.

"Oh Cloud, still so innocent."

He sent a small glare her way before standing. "I'll get you some bandages."

"Thanks," she replied as he left the room. She shut the door behind him and locked it, hissing a bit from moving. Sighing, she went to her mirror and looked at herself. Her clothing changed so now it was back to normal, similar to the boys. She winced again as she moved, but it needed to be done.

She quickly, but carefully, stripped off her cloak, then her shirt. She turned slightly to see the damage, and it was worse than she thought. There was a large gash in her back, going from the middle right to lower left. And it HURT!

But the strange thing was… it wasn't bleeding. At least, not the way people usually bleed. Her gash was black. Pure, inky black. Smoke seemed to rise from it, though it vanished not that far from its origins. Sayomi sighed at the strange sight she had grown accustomed to.

"I can't bleed like a human, can I?" she muttered to herself, her head hung low. "I guess it's proof that I…"

Before she could continue that thought, though, a knock came at her door. "Who is it?"

"Cloud. I got your bandages," came the muffled answer. Sayomi bit her lip. She couldn't let anyone see… not again.

"Alright… I'll open the door. Hold them out, but don't look."

"Hmph."

She unlocked the door and opened it enough that Cloud's hand could fit through. She grabbed the bandages, disinfectant, and cloth from him then closed the door again. She look at the items with a raised brow.

"I figured you might not want the wound to be affected," she heard through the door. She smiled thoughtfully.

"Thank you. I'll let you pick the next world."

"I thought it was Zack's turn?"

"He'll… be preoccupied for a while." As if on cue, a loud crash was heard farther away, making both crew members sweatshop.

"Alright. Tell us if you need anything." With that, he walked to the cockpit.

Sayomi waited until his footsteps could no longer be heard before going ahead and wrapping the wound. Having to do so herself for years prior to keep the secret a… well, secret, gave her some much-needed experience. When the bandages were all wrapped up, and she made sure no smoke was visible, she got dressed and walked out to the front of the ship.

Cloud turned when he heard her enter. "That was fast," he commented before resuming to stare at the screen.

"I've had a lot of practice," she replied. Cloud noticed her cage answer, but elected to ignore it.

"So, the Hiccup boy. What's his story?"

"What do you mean?"

"How'd you two meet?"

Sayomi thought for a bit. "Well, it wasn't on purpose. I was flying through the Lanes Between and I-"

"Lanes Between?" Cloud interrupted with a raised eyebrow.

"It's what we're traveling through now. It's like a highway between worlds. Anyway, I had been put off course by a rather…annoying boy, and crash landed in the forest. Thankfully, a few villagers found me and brought me to the Chief. I was allowed to recover there, and I quickly became friends with a little boy named Hiccup." She smiled fondly at the memory, but it quickly faded. "Unfortunately, I didn't go there alone. The boy found me and threatened to hurt Hiccup if I didn't do what he said and leave. So I did the only thing I could do: I left."

Cloud was silent for a while. "And that dragon of his. How did you know his name?"

Sayomi stared at him, internally screaming for slipping up in her anger. "the dragon has retractable teeth. I figured I'd give him a stupid little name. Since I couldn't just call him an 'it', could I? I didn't expect it to be his name…"

After that, it was a comfortable silence as Cloud steered them to their next destination...


	6. Beast's Castle

_**~Gummi Ship (Sora)~**_

Sora, Donald, and Goofy sat in the cockpit if their Gummi Ship. Donald had taken the reigns since Sora was… occupied. They were flying away from the world they were just in, the Land of Dragons, and were headed to the next one open to them.

Sora himself was still sitting in the front seat, but he wasn't looking in front of him. He had a far-off look as he thought back to the girl Yen Sid told them about before they left for Hollow Bastion.

"What's wrong, Sora?" Goofy asked, frowning in worry.

Sora snapped out of his thought and turned to Goofy. "Huh?"

"You've been out of it this whole time!" Donald quacked, "What's going on with you?"

"Oh," Sora muttered, not realizing he had acted that way, "I'm just thinking about that girl Yen Sid told us to watch out for."

"What about her?"

"Well, I'm just wondering what she did that was so bad."

"Yen Sid said she had hurt the King's friends."

"Yeah!" Donald agreed.

"Why would she do that, though?" Sora asked, genuinely curious.

The three were silent at that. They had no idea. They knew nothing about the girl, so it would be impossible to know. But Sora wouldn't give up. Something felt strange about the whole thing…

"Hey, what about this world?" Donald suggested, hoping to get Sora's mind off of it. He knew Sora wouldn't give up, but Donald trusted Yen Sid, and had to believe his words unless proven wrong.

Thankfully, his words got Sora to get out of his thoughts again and look up at the world. "A castle?"

"Let's go!" Donald exclaimed, hitting a bit red button, sending them down to the world below.

 _ **~Beast's Castle (Sayomi)~**_

"Woah…" Zack muttered as the three of them walked through the front hall of the large castle they found themselves in, "This place is HUGE!"

"Well, it IS a castle…" Cloud pointed out to his best friend, his voice about as emotionless as his expression.

Zack rolled his eyes and didn't bother replying. Sayomi took a couple steps forward and looked around. She looked at the two branching staircases before settling on the left one.

"I'm going to have a little talk with someone," she told them. As if Remembering something, she turned to them. "Hey, can you guys do me a favor?"

"What?" Cloud asked. By the tone of her voice, she wasn't keen on her idea either.

"Could you wait in the Gummi Ship?" she asked nervously. Cloud frowned in confusion, as did Zack, but he was a bit more open with his opinion.

"What?! Why?" he exclaimed incredulously.

Sayomi thought about what to had already left Ghostwing in the Gummi Ship because he was too noticeable. She knew she could summon him when needed, but right now she believed she could handle this without him. After looking around to make sure no one was watching or listening in, she grabbed their hands and ran to a room, pushing the door open and bringing them in. She shut the door behind them and sighed. Cloud's frown turned from confusion to worry.

"Sayomi, what's going on?" he asked, worry showing in his tone.

Sayomi stared at the floor with a small frown. "I can feel a presence here. It's evil, and it is like mine."

"Like yours?" Cloud repeated in confusion, raising an eyebrow.

"The presence is dark, but it also seems to be lacking. Cloud," she turned to said boy, "Do you remember what I said about those men in black coats?"

He nodded. "You said they were the bad guys."

"Yes. And one of them is here."

"Then let's find him and take him down!" Zack exclaimed, punching his fists together. Sayomi shook her head.

"It isn't that simple. This man has the ability to manipulate the wind. He uses multiple spears and is very deadly."

"Sounds like you've run into him before," Cloud pointed out.

"In a way, yes. I myself did not fight him directly, but I have seen how he fights and I know that right now we cannot kill him. He's too strong."

"Then what do we do?" Zack asked, frowning. Sayomi crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked down in thought.

"I'm going to try to talk to the ruler of the castle," she said, looking toward the door, then looking back at her friends. "I need you guys to stay hidden. Find a place to hide until I can come get you." Needless to say, Cloud and Zack weren't too pleased with that idea.

"No way. We're going with you!" Zack spoke defiantly. He hated being left out of the action. Cloud is more reserved, but hates being held back. And Sayomi was doing both.

Sayomi stared at him blankly, as if not knowing how to react.

" _Wha-?! No way! I wanna go with you guys!"_

" _Yeah!"_

" _No, V-. Sayomi. You two need to go home. We're only trying to protect you."_

Sayomi lowered her head slightly, staring at the ground. After a moment she looks up at them. "Alright. I need you to do something for me, then." The boys nodded, serious. "Protect that." She pointed between the boys. They looked back, and Zack groaned.

"You want us to protect a plant?" Cloud asked, surprise in his voice. Sayomi nodded, crossing her arms.

"Yes. That rose is very important to the leader of this castle. It has a strong magic surrounding it. Unfortunately, this magic is attracting the Heartless. Me being here will keep them at bay, but once I leave, they will attack. Keep the Heartless at bay until I return."

"What's so special about the rose?"

"It's connected to a curse in this castle. Rumor has it an Enchantress came and punished the prince, turning him into a monster. The curse also turned the staff into cutlery and other objects." She walked over to the rose and placed a gloved hand gently on the glass surrounding the beautiful flower. "This rose serves as a timer. If the prince can learn to love and be loved in return before the last petal falls, the spell will break. If not, they will remain this way forever…" She slowly trailed off, going back to her thoughts. Her gold eye stared down at the rose with despair, though neither of the boys noticed.

"How did you know that?" Zack asked.

"It's an old tale told to me by someone close… an old friend, you could say," she said mysteriously.

After a moment she turned back to them. "Be ready for anything. I'll be back as quick as I can."

"Promise you won't try and leave us here stranded?" Cloud asked in an amused but slightly serious tone. Sayomi grinned at him.

"On my honor as a Keyblade wielder." With that, she left, leaving the boys to guard the rose.

Zack sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against a wall. "I hate it when she goes all mysterious on us…"

"I suppose it can't be helped," Cloud muttered, also clearly annoyed. He walked up to the rose and stared down at it.

"Soooooo…" Cloud turned to his friend, not liking the sound in his voice. Zack had on a lovey-dovey grin, making Cloud glare. "You and Sayomi-"

"There's nothing going on."

"You didn't let me finish!"

"..."

"Fine…"

"Besides, there's nothing going on between us," Cloud stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh~?" Zack raised an eyebrow mischievously, obviously not believing him. "If I remember correctly, you and her never left each other's side when she was around ten years ago."

"Eleven," he automatically corrected, "And no we did not."

"Sounds like someone is in de-ni-al~!" Zack sang with a bright grin. Cloud glared darkly, but stayed quiet. But he suddenly smirked, offsetting Zack.

"What about you and Aerith? Last I checked, you cried when you two were separated."

Zack sputtered, not expecting Cloud to have responded that way. He looked like a gaping fish. Cloud smirked in victory, but it was wiped off his face when he noticed a black shadow slithering into the room. He grabbed the handle of his sword as more showed up. Zack followed suit, and they started working on protecting the rose.

 _ **~West Wing (Sayomi)~**_

Sayomi walked calmly up the stairs and through the west wing, her face set in stone. She hoped Xaldin wouldn't be there when she was, as she didn't want the Organization to know she was still around. She didn't want more enemies right now.

To her relief, Beast was alone in the room. She sensed a dark presence fading, and realized it was Xaldin. He must've left just now. Well wasn't she lucky?

"Beast?" she called out to the creature whose back was turned to her. He quickly whipped toward her and growled in warning. He noticed the coat, and his growl got angrier. She held up her hands in defense. "Don't worry. Please trust me, I'm one of the good guys."

"Who are you?" he snarled, still keeping up his defenses. He glared at her darkly, watching her in case she does anything. Sayomi smiled gently.

"My name's Sayomi. I'm here to talk to you." She still stayed a safe distance away, but was able to close it slightly. "I know I look like that man who was just here. But I'm nothing like him."

"Who was he?"

"His name is Xaldin. I'm surprised he left that out." She lowered her hands to her sides, her tone serious. "He's a member of a group called Organization XIII. They will do anything to get what they want." The Beast let out a loud roar, but Sayomi did not flinch.

"Why should I believe you, woman?! You wear the same coat as him!" he bared his fangs.

"You're right, I do. At least, I used to. But mine's white…" she pointed out half-heartedly, sighing, "But please, give me a chance to prove myself." She placed a hand on her chest. "I have come here to warn you. Please, keep an eye on Belle, as well as your rose. Xaldin will do anything to get what he wants, and that will include taking something special from you."

The Beast roared again in anger. "SILENCE!" This time, Sayomi did flinch, although only slightly. "I will not have someone like you tell me what to do."

The hooded girl sighed, lowering her head and looking away. _'It seems he will not listen to reason… The darkness is consuming him, clouding his judgement,'_ she thought to herself. After a moment, she looked back at him, a deep frown on her face. Her eyes narrowed in on the Beast, as she could sense, as well as see, wisps of darkness enveloping his body. She had to try and get through to him, at least give him a warning. "Be careful, Prince," she spoke carefully, "The road you are treading will only lead to sadness and destruction. Heed my words carefully, for my words reign true. The Organization is dark and deceitful, using the darkness in your heart to control you. Protect the things dear to you, as they will use them against you."

She took a step back to let those words sink in. Suddenly, the Beast's eyes narrowed and a growl escaped his lips. Sayomi quickly took a step to the side as the Beast rushed to protect his precious rose. A sigh escaped the girl's mouth. She had one more person to talk to.

 _ **~Castle Entrance (Sora)~**_

Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked through the large door into the even larger castle. The all looked around at the dark palace. All three of them were in awe, though Goofy was also a bit… sad.

"What is this place?" Sora asked, admiring the scenery.

"It's huge!" Donald exclaimed with wide eyes.

Goofy turned to the two. "Kinda gloomy, dontcha think?" he asked.

"I wonder who lives here…"

They all suddenly jumped in surprise when a loud roar ripped through the air. The three whipped their heads around to try and find the source of the noise, but Goofy raised an… eyebrow?

"Hey, does anyone else recognize that?" he asked.

Sora looked down in thought as the roar sounded again not too long after. His eyes widened when he suddenly realized, "Hey! It's the Beast!"

"Yeah!" Donald exclaimed in agreement.

"Maybe we should check up on him," Goofy suggested.

The other two nodded, but Sora's eyes widened when he saw a shadow rushing past them. "Look!" he reached out to the shadow and the three friends watched as it slithered its way into an open door.

"C'mon!" Donald exclaimed. The three rushed into the room after the Heartless, hoping they didn't lose it.

Zack stood near the rose, staring at the flower with keen interest. "I wonder how it's able to float like that…?" he mumbled thoughtfully. He turned toward Cloud, who was leaning against the back wall, his eyes closed and his arms crossed. "You done brooding?" he asked with a small grin.

Cloud did nothing, but after a moment he opened his eyes and stood straight. "Someone's coming."

Before they could do anything, a strange… duck head poked through the door. His eyes widened and he squawked when he saw Zack standing there in front of the rose. Sora and Goofy quickly followed Donald into the room and they took out their weapons, facing the SOLDIER.

"Hey! What're you doin' here?" Donald asked, his staff at the ready. Zack held his hands up in self-defense.

"Are you with the Organization?" Sora asked, gripping his Kingdom Key tightly.

"Pfft. Me? Do I look like I wear a black coat?" Zack asked incredulously. They didn't relent, and he sighed. "Look I- huh?" Zack noticed the Keyblade in Sora's hands and his eyes widened. "A Keyblade? You have a Keyblade?"

"Yeah, what of it?" Sora asked defensively.

"I just… It's been so long since I've seen one," the older boy said, frowning at the memory.

"You saw one yesterday."

Zack, Donald, Sora, and Goofy all turned toward Cloud, who had an amused glint in his eyes. Zack pouted. "Well, yeah. But I was thinking about someone else. I haven't seen a Keyblade UP CLOSE in a while."

Cloud frowned, remembering who his friend was talking about. During their young teenage years in Olympus, another girl had arrived. Her strength and looks instantly caught Zack's attention, and he was always fascinated by her Keyblade.

Back to the present, Sora and his friends were staring at Cloud with wide eyes. "Cloud? What're you doing here?" said boy asked.

"Yeah," Goofy agreed, also stating his confusion, "Last we saw ya, you were in Olympus. How'd ya get here?"

"A friend," he replied vaguely.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy exchanged glances before returning their attention to Cloud. Their defenses had gone down and their weapons were away.

"Cloud, you know these guys?" Zack asked.

Cloud nodded. "They helped me… when I had made a deal with Hades." Zack's eyes widened.

"Okay, a few things. One: How did I not know about that? Two: WHY didn't I know about that? And three: WHAT?!" Cloud winced at his friend's tone at the last word. He knew Zack hated Hades after what happened, so hearing that his best friend made a deal with him released a dark rage in the black-haired boy. "Why would you make a deal with HIM?!"

"I'm not proud of what I did… I needed help fighting the darkness within me. I didn't realize how stupid I was until it was too late… Thankfully, Sora and his friends helped me," Cloud nodded to Sora, who grinned despite himself.

"Yep! Though I'm still waiting for that rematch!" he said, then turned to Zack. "Oh, sorry. We never introduced ourselves. I'm Sora. That's Donald, and that's Goofy," he gestured to his friends as he spoke. Zack nodded, grinning, his rage toward Hades momentarily forgotten.

"Nice to meetcha. The name's Zack. I grew up with Cloud in Olympus before he ran off to find a friend of ours."

"Oh?" Goofy asked, intrigued, "Who are they?"

"Her name's Sayomi," Cloud was quick to speak before Zack, "She's the one who found us and wanted us to go on a journey with her."

"She also has the hots for Cloud," Zack whispered to the strange trio, making them chuckle. Zack's smirk disappeared when he felt a strong sense of killing intent coming from his right. He stood straight and looked away from Cloud, who he was pretty sure wanted to rip him to shreds.

Suddenly, multiple Heartless appeared in the room, moving toward the bright rose. "Zack." Cloud got his friend's attention as well as the trio's as he took out his large buster sword and swung at a Heartless, killing it instantly. The five of them fought the Heartless vigorously, protecting the rose. But, unlike the other waves of Heartless, this one wouldn't let up. After a while, Zack lowered his sword and groaned. "Enough already!"

"Somebody help us!" Donald cried.

Suddenly, the door burst open, making a loud bang noise that sounded throughout the castle. Zack and Cloud were shocked at the large beast standing in front of them. Said beast knocked away the remaining Heartless and slowly stalked toward them.

"Just in time, Beast!" Sora exclaimed happily. Unfortunately, the Beast only swatted him into the wall, making him cry out in shock and a bit of pain.

"Sora!" Cloud exclaimed. The two boys watched as the Beast swatted Donald and Goofy away in the other direction. It stopped in front of Zack and Cloud, and they simply sidestepped a safe distance away to make sure they weren't hit as well. Zack went over to Sora and helped him up while Cloud helped the other two. The five watched as the Beast grabbed the rose, with the case, and stalked out of the room, slamming the doors behind him.

"What was that?" Zack asked, though it wasn't focused on any one person. Sora stood up and looked at the door, a confused and worried frown on his face.

"I don't know, but it wasn't good," Cloud stated.

"Come on, let's see if we can find out," Sora ordered, walking out of the room. Donald and Goofy followed immediately, but Cloud and Zack stayed back for a moment.

"Zack, Sayomi's somewhere in this castle," Cloud said, "That thing better not have hurt her."

"I'm sure she's fine." Zack pat his friend on the shoulder for support. "Should we stay here and wait?"

"No. We should go with Sora. Who knows what that boy will get into…" Cloud shook his head fondly. Zack looked at him for a moment before nodding with a grin.

"Right. Let's go."

The two walked out of the room and walked up to Sora, who just finished talking with Donald. "Hey, what's up?"

"Donald said he saw someone up there for a moment." Sora pointed to the East stairway. Zack looked up, but noticed no one was there. Whoever Donald saw wasn't in view now.

"We think it was Belle, so we were gonna go and say hi," Goofy added.

"Belle? She's one of the seven princesses, right?" Cloud asked. The gang from Hollow Bastion had caught him up to speed on what had happened, including the princesses. Sora nodded, confirming his thoughts.

"Well, what're we waiting for?" Zack asked, grinning. With that, the five started walking up in the direction of 'Belle', killing any Heartless in their path.

 _ **~Belle's Room (Sayomi)~**_

Not that far away, in a single room, stood two women. One was looking at the other warily, while the other had a serious frown.

"One of seven princesses of heart… Belle…" Sayomi muttered.

"What do you want?" Belle asked, nervousness and worry seeping into her voice. This woman walked into her room randomly without introducing herself. She looked like that strange man in the black coat, making the young girl even more wary.

Sayomi smiled softly, hoping to ease any tension. "My name is Sayomi. I know it looks bad, but I'm a good guy. I came to help."

"Help?" Belle asked.

Sayomi nodded. "I warned to Beast, but I don't think he will listen until the hold Xaldin has on him is weakened."

"Xaldin? That's his name?" Belle wondered aloud. The hooded girl nodded. "I knew the Beast was acting strange… What does that man want?" Sayomi stared at her, frowning at the stress she noticed the woman was in. Belle sighed, looking down sadly.

"He's here for the Beast."

Belle looked at her with wide eyes.

"He wants the Beast to become a Heartless. He's using all of the Beast's worries and negative emotions to control him and make him angrier." Sayomi had a sympathetic look, but it could not be seen. She felt bad for Belle, so she was going to do whatever it took to keep her safe.

"What can I do to help?" Belle asked. She would do anything for the Beast. He helped her when she was kidnapped by Maleficent, so she wanted to return the favor.

Sayomi grinned. "I have an idea…" She explained her plan to Belle, who nodded and agreed to do it. Sayomi smiled at Belle.

"How do you know all of this will happen?" Belle asked. Sayomi's smile disappeared, and Belle could sense the deep sadness that lies within her. It surprised her.

"It's… something I don't like talking about. It brings up bad memories, y'know?" Sayomi tried to shrug it off, but was shocked when Belle calmly sat down on her bed and looked at Sayomi with a smile.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone." Sayomi's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

"I-I just… it's very hard to talk about. And we don't have a lot of time."

"Then you can give me a shorter version," Belle insisted. Sayomi lowered her head. Belle reached over and took hold of one of Sayomi's gloved hands, surprising her enough to look Belle in the eyes. "I know it's hard. But you shouldn't keep these things to yourself. Bottling your feelings inside will only hurt you more. I promise I won't say a thing, but you should tell someone."

Sayomi stared at her in worried thought. "I… I don't know where to start…"

"From the beginning. And you don't have to tell me everything if some are too hurtful." Sayomi shook her head. She couldn't believe she was doing this…

"Would you really believe me if I told you?" Sayomi asked, doubting but hopeful. Belle's smile never faltered.

"We'll never know unless we try."

Sayomi stared at Belle. This girl really wanted to help her… it's no wonder why she was one of the seven princesses. After a moment of silence, she relented. "It all started with a fight…"

 _ **~East Wing (Sora)~**_

 _Huff… Huff…_ Sora took a deep breath to try and get some oxygen back into his system. Multiple Heartless appeared as they went toward Belle's room, and they fought every single one. It wasn't too bad since Zack and Cloud joined them, but it took a lot out of them. The Heartless were relentless. But eventually they were able to make it to their target and stood by the door. To hear what was happening inside.

" _Perhaps if they knew, they could help,"_ came Belle's voice from inside. Sora looked at Donald and Goofy in confusion. Who was she talking to?

" _I know… I just…"_ This time, it was Zack and Cloud who shared glances. That was a voice they knew well. _"I don't want them to hate me…"_ Hate her? Why would they hate her?

" _Just think about it, alright?"_

Donald decided he was too curious and wanted to see who she was talking to. So he backed up a bit and rushed toward the door, but was surprised when the door opened itself, causing him to fall on his face. He lifted his head angrily. "Hey, who opened the door?!"

Sora and the others walked in after him. They saw Belle, which was expected. They were, however, surprised when they saw no one else. Where was the other girl?

"Donald!" Said duck was suddenly engulfed in a big hug courtesy of Belle. He quacked in school and started to try and wiggle free. "Sora! Goofy!" she exclaimed, ignoring the duck's efforts. However, he got her attention and she set him down gently. "Sorry," she chuckled.

"Hey Belle!" Sora greeted with a grin, giving her a small wave.

She smiled at him, then turned to the two eldest. "Oh? You must be Zack and Cloud. It's nice to meet you. my name's Belle."

"Its nice to meet you, too, ma'am," Zack replied respectfully.

"How did you know our names?" Cloud asked.

"Your friend Sayomi was here. She told me all about you two." She chuckled, and Cloud frowned.

"Where is she?" Sora asked, curious. Belle turned to him.

"Oh? Is she your friend, too?" Belle asked. Sora shook his head.

"Not really. We haven't actually met."

"Oh, I see," she nodded. "Well, she left just a few moments ago, but she said something about finding a man in a black coat," Belle lied.

"Organization XIII…" Sora muttered, then remembered why they were there in the first place. "Oh! Belle, do you know why the Beast is acting this way?"

Belle frowned and shook her head. "No, I don't… but I think the strange man has something to do with it. Oh! I almost forgot! The Beast locked up the others in the dungeon…" she frowned in worry. "Could you please check up on them?"

"Why can't you- ngh!" Cloud winced and rubbed his side, glaring at Zack who frowned at him.

"Sure! We'll look for 'em!" Sora exclaimed with a grin. Belle sighed in relief, smiling softly at the boy.

"Thank you… You should be able to get to the dungeon through the west wing."

After talking for a little longer, Sora and the others left in search of the others Belle talked about. When the door closed behind them, Belle sat on her bed and sighed. The balcony doors opened, getting her attention, as Sayomi walked back into the room.

"Thank you. I'm sorry I made you lie…" Sayomi apologized, rubbing her sleeve-covered arm. Belle stood and shook her head, smiling softly.

"Please, don't apologize. I know you mean well. Just please stay safe, alright?" Sayomi nodded, then lowered her head. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just…" she sighed, then smiled at her, "Thank you…" Belle returned her smile, and they resumed their talk.

"So, tell me about what Xaldin will do…"

"So this friend of yours disappeared ten years ago?" Goofy asked as they all walked through the underground tunnels to reach the dungeon. Zack nodded, a frown on his face.

"Yeah, but we had no idea why."

"I found out just recently," Cloud spoke in his monotone voice, "Turns out she was needed somewhere else." He looked at Zack. "Zack still needs to be caught up to speed on the details, but that can wait til later." Zack grumbled slightly at Cloud's words, sulking a bit.

"Yeah, I know how that feels…" Sora chuckled. He ignored the strange feeling in his chest and continued to talk with Donald and Goofy on what the others might be or look like.

Zack smiled at them, then turned to Cloud and whispered, "Hey, do you know why Sayomi just vanished from the room?"

Cloud frowned. "I'll explain later, alright?" Zack looked at him suspiciously, but nodded anyway. They needed to talk.

"So, what do you intend to do now, Sayomi?" Belle asked after Sayomi finished her tale. Her story was surely something to behold, and most people would say she was crazy. But Belle knew… she didn't have any reason to lie. Her story was too detailed to be fake or made up.

Sayomi shook her head with a sigh. "I'm not sure… really, I just want to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"If something does go wrong, and you try to fix it, then wouldn't that change things?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"I assumed you would be trying NOT to pull it off course. What you're doing… could be very dangerous."

"I've already screwed up the timeline. I saved someone… who was supposed to disappear," she turned to Belle when she spoke, "And this is my story now. I know it's dangerous, but I want to protect my friends."

Belle stared at her for a long moment of silence. Finally, she smiled. "I suppose I can't stop you. Just be careful, alright?"

Sayomi nodded, smiling back, before turning and walking out of the room, leaving Belle to ponder what she's been told.

 _ **~Dungeon~**_

"Cogsworth!" Sora jumped back and, with the clock's help, brought the Beast to his senses. Now, the six of them, and Cogsworth, stood in front of a kneeling beast.

"Wh… what happened?" the Beast asked, looking around in confusion.

"Ah, right… Well, you see… uhh how do I put this… That is to say… umm…"

Zack threw his sword onto his shoulder. "Well, you went completely mad and locked your servants in the cold damp dungeon." Everyone, except for Beast, glared at Zack's bluntness. Zack was oblivious to it.

"I… I did that?" the beast asked in self-pity.

Sora, sensing his sadness, decided to change the subject. "Hey Beast, who was that guy anyway? The one who was with you when we walked in."

The Beast was silent for a moment before his head snapped up with eyes wide. "Xaldin! That's his name…"

"So this Xaldin's a member of Organization XIII..." Cloud muttered in thought. He remembered Sayomi had said that.

"That girl… she was right... I should have listened."

Beast's words got the attention of our heroes. "What girl?" Sora asked. He had a hunch as to who it was.

"Her name… I can't remember. It's all fuzzy, I don't know if she told me her name at all…" the Beast shook his head in regret and sadness. But there was one thing he remembered. "She wore a cloak. One similar to Xaldin's." The Beast gave all the information he could, seeing as he struggled with most of it. The darkness had a strong hold on him at the time, he was shocked he didn't outright battle her.

Zack and Cloud shared a glance. Sayomi had on a black and _white_ cloak, and the beast didn't mention any white. But maybe he couldn't remember? They weren't certain.

"If she shows up again, let us know. She's extremely dangerous."

"Yeah, she could really hurt ya or any of your servants. Or even Belle!" Goofy added, sounding happier than he probably should.

Cloud and Zack shared another glance. They were confused and worried. They definitely needed to talk to Sayomi. She'd probably know what was going on.

Suddenly, a loud scream echoed through the castle, causing everyone to turn to the door.

"What was that?" Cloud asked urgently.

"Belle!" Beast cried out before rushing out of the room on all fours.

"Well there's your answer," Sora replied.

"Alright. You guys go find Belle. We're going to make sure Sayomi's safe," Cloud said, his face stoic as ever but his voice having a sense of urgency. Sora nodded at him.

"Let's go!" Donald exclaimed, rushing out with everyone else in tow.

"Cloud?" Zack asked his friend.

"Come on." They said nothing else as they raced through the castle.

They made their way through the halls before running down the stairs. They look around, some frantically. "Belle?!"

"Beast!" Everyone turned their heads to the large door in surprise. "Help! I'm in the ballroom!"

Without further instruction, Beast, followed by the others, burst into the room, weapons in hand. Beast called out to Belle as she closed the door behind her, locking herself out of the large room. To their surprise, a large round ghost-like Heartless stopped at the door, growling, then turned to the group. It's body was surrounded by chains, and it had two horns on its head. It roared at them as they readied their weapons.

 _ **~With Cloud and Zack~**_

"Sayomi! Where are you?"

"Sayomi?"

The two friends ran outside after going through the castle. The large doors closed behind them, and they looked around the courtyard.

"Cloud! Zack!"

The two boys looked forward toward the gate and saw Sayomi running toward them, no doubt sensing the trouble. They met in the middle of the courtyard.

"Where the hell were you?!" Cloud exclaimed.

"I was looking for someone," she briefly explained, walking passed her friends and stopping after a few steps. "But then I felt an evil presence. A powerful Heartless."

"We wanted to make sure you were safe."

Sayomi smiled fondly at them, but her face quickly turned serious. "Come on, they're going to need all the help they could get."

 _ **~Ballroom~**_

"Augh!" Sora winced as he blocked the Dark Thorn's large claw with his Keyblade, the sharp nails mere inches away from his face. He wasn't expecting this. None of them were. Mere minutes ago they were facing against a black blob with chains around it, and now they were being attacked by a larger, and definitely more destructive, Heartless. They were caught off guard and the Heartless had knocked Donald and Goofy out for the count.

Sora's arms started to shake as they tried to hold the claw back away from him, but his strength was waning. Beads of sweat dripped down the side of his face. "Sora!" The Beast shot over and slashed at Dark Thorn, making it stumble back with an angry roar. Sora collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily. With Donald out for the count, he had to use his own potions. Unfortunately, he could only carry so many, and he ran out real quick against this thing.

"Thanks, Beast…" he said between pants, trying to regain his breath.

"Can you stand?" Beast asked, glancing at him before looking back at Dark Thorn.

"I think so…" With a grimace, Sora stood, almost falling back to his knees but managing to stay up. "This thing just won't go down."

"Our only option is to keep fighting and distract him from attacking Donald and Goofy." Sora nodded at Beast's words and shot forward. With a battle cry, he jumped into the air and swung his Keyblade down as Beast rushed and attacked it from behind. The Heartless roared and brought its claw back and smacked Sora out of the air and into one of the pillars. It roared again, this time in pain, as the Beast managed to bring one of its legs down. It landed on one knee and turned, doing the same to him what he did to Sora.

"Gah!" Sora coughed as his back slammed horizontally against the pillar before falling onto the ground on his stomach. His eyes were screwed shut in pain. He couldn't take much more. He should have held more potions, but he wasn't expecting a fight!

He heard a roar of pain and opened his eyes to see the Beast lying a few pillars away, trying to get up. "Beast!" Sora exclaimed. His eyes widened when he saw Dark Thorn stalk over to Beast, its walking slowed due to the injured leg. "BEAST!" he called out in horror as Dark Thorn raised its claw to finish him off.

"THUNDAGA!"

Lightning shot down from the sky, electrocuting Dark Thorn and paralyzing the Heartless, its claw still raised. It roared out in pain as electricity poured through its very being. Even when it stopped and the lightning disappeared, sparks still danced around its body.

Sora lay in shock (no pun intended), before turning to whoever cast the spell. His eyes widened and a large, relieved smile formed on his face. "Zack! Cloud!" His eyes traveled to the third person, who wore a black and white cloak and held a Keyblade out, pointed at Dark Thorn. Sora's mind raced. Was that Sayomi? Wait… She looks like someone from Organization XIII. But she was helping them. And she has a Keyblade.

' _Yen Sid said the girl that betrayed King Mickey wore a black cloak and had a Keyblade. Could this be her? Her coat isn't like the one we saw, so maybe she isn't… But maybe-'_

"Hey!" The girl's voice broke Sora out of his thoughts and he shook his head. This was no time to get distracted! But when he looked at the girl looming above him, he felt something inside him stir. What it was, he doesn't know. "Hey, you okay?!" she asked, shaking him by his shoulder.

He managed a nod. "I've… been better…" he replied softly. The girl frowned and raised her Keyblade.

"Cura!" A green light engulfed Sora, replenishing his energy and healing any wounds he may have had. He blinked a couple times before sitting up, shaking the dizziness out of his head.

"Thanks," he said with a smile. The girl smiled back, and Sora realized her mouth and chin was all he could see of her face. Why was she hiding it?

"My name's Sayomi. I'm a friend of Cloud and Zack's," she explained briefly. Speaking of them…

Cloud was currently fending off the Heartless while Zack made sure the Beast and Sora's other companions were safely out of the fray. When he finished with that, he went to help Cloud.

"Come on." Sora turned his attention once again to Sayomi, who was holding out his Keyblade, hers in her left hand. After a moment of staring at her Keyblade, he took his own from her hand. She stood up and smiled down at Sora. "Go wait with your friends. We can take things from here." With that, she turned and ran toward the Heartless, leaving Sora there to watch.

The teenage boy frowned as he watched the three fight Dark Thorn. He had so many things floating through his head. His mind told him that the girl, Sayomi, was most likely the girl Yen Sid talked about, and was therefore an enemy. But… his heart said otherwise. It was like his heart was torn in two; one side told him there was more to her story while the other remained unsure. It was a free-for-all between three opinions flowing through him.

He refocused on the fight at hand. He wanted to fight alongside them. He wanted to make sure the Heartless was killed. But he had a feeling he'd only get in the way. He needed to get to his friends and revive them. He hated being left out of the action and having to wait on the sidelines, but just this once he had no choice.

Sora stood, Keyblade in hand, and ran to his friends. They were still in the room, but were up against the wall and behind some pillars close to the door, so they were out of the way of the fight. He slid to his knees and started to fish out some potions.

"Thunder!" Sayomi raised her Keyblade as she ran to her friends, feeling the electricity form and hit the Heartless. Dark Thorn roared in anger and swiped at her, but she flipped into the air, over the hand, and dug her Keyblade into its arm. She swung her body around and kicked the beast in the face with both legs, dislodging her weapon as the Heartless flew into the wall. She landed in a slight crouch between Cloud and Zack.

"This thing's tougher than it looks," Cloud informed. Zack nodded.

Sayomi's smirk turned into a grin that stretched over her entire face as she readied herself again. "Then let's hit it with everything we've got!"

For a moment, in her head, an image of four girls fighting against a giant bird flashed through her mind. It quickly vanished when she shook her head.

With a loud roar then Dark Thorn shot forward again. A blue aura flowed around Cloud. Zack crouched down. The blue on Sayomi's Keyblade glowed brightly. When Dark Thorn got close enough, Cloud swung his Keyblade down, sending a blue wave of energy at Dark Thorn. The attack hit, creating a deep vertical gash on the Heartless. The beast stumbled back in pain for a moment before swinging its claw down toward Zack. Zack jumped, dodging the claw, and spun vertically. As he fell to the ground the blade in his hand cut clean through Dark Thorn's arms, cutting them off by the elbow.

An ear-piercing screech cut through the air as black blood oozed from Dark Thorn's arms. Sayomi's eyes narrowed and she pointed her Keyblade at Dark Thorn's chest as it thrashed. It noticed Sayomi and rushed toward her. But it was too late.

A been shot out of her Keyblade and went straight through Dark Thorn's chest. A screech ripped from Dark Thorn's chest before its head shot up and it froze. Its body cracked and shattered, and Sayomi watched solemnly as a heart floated up into the sky before disappearing.

When the heart disappeared, she turned away and looked to her friends. "You guys alright?"

"Yeah, just a little sore," Cloud mumbled, rubbing his shoulder.

Sayomi sent him a soft smile before turning toward Sora and his friends, who were still unconscious save the Beast. She walked over to them and Sora and the Beast looked up at her. "Hey, you two okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Sora reassured as he stood to face her, the Beast standing soon after. "What about you guys?"

"Just a few sore muscles. You sure did a number on the Heartless before we got to it."

"What do you mean? We barely scratched it!" Sora asked in confusion. Sayomi shook her head.

"The Heartless's movements were slowed due to one of its legs being injured, and it was tired out by the time my group fought it. It wasn't at full power." She had a small, smug smile as she told him what she observed. Sora chuckled a bit and Sayomi smiled kindly before turning to the Beast. "What about you?"

"I'm fine. Thank you for your help," the Beast said to her gratefully. Said girl nodded, accepting his words.

"So, Sayomi… I have something to ask you-" Sora started, but was soon interrupted by a squawk.

"Organization XIII!" Donald exclaimed, jumping up and swinging his staff at Sayomi, who easily dodged. Donald stood a little in front of, and between, Beast and Sora. Sayomi's smile disappeared at the mention of that group.

"Donald!" Sora exclaimed in surprise. He looked back and noticed Goofy was awake as well and was glaring slightly at Sayomi. The boy frowned and looked back to her.

"What are you doing here?" Donald asked in anger, pointing his staff at her as if preparing a spell. Sayomi held her hands up in defense.

"Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy there, bill-boy!" Donald seethed at her nickname for him. "I'm not here to fight you."

"Then why are you here?" Goofy asked. His voice was laced with suspicion.

"I came to warn princy here about the Organization," as she said that she pointed to the Beast, who was staring at her with confusion, but not hostility. "I tried to warn him about Xaldin and his plans, but he wouldn't listen to reason." She shrugged. Sora's eyes widened a bit as the pieces fell into place.

"So you're the one who talked to Beast earlier while he was being possessed by the darkness?" he asked, remembering what the Beast had told them. Sayomi nodded, not seeing any reason to lie.

She looked down. "I was hoping to avoid anyone fighting, but he wouldn't listen. So I left. I ran into Belle on my way and we talked for a bit."

Everyone was silent as they digested the information.

"Sayomi…" Sora started, hesitating for a moment as he struggled to find what to say. What WAS he supposed to say? 'Hey, Sayomi, we think you might be a girl who betrayed and killed her friends. Wanna add your thoughts?' There were many ways this could go wrong.

Sayomi looked at him, confusion on her face, though he couldn't see. She was frowning as she watched him struggle with his words.

Sora and the others were saved from the awkwardness by the balcony door opening, followed by a… cry for help?

"Beast!"

Everyone whipped their heads toward the voice. The Beast's eyes widened in surprise and rage. "Belle!" he called out, then growled in anger.

Belle stood, her right arm gripped tightly by a cloaked figure. She winced slightly as the figure tugged her harshly, making her stop walking toward the heroes. The mystery person was wearing a black cloak similar to the Organization. The hood covered their entire face. Despite this, the body was undoubtedly female.

"Who are you?" Zack asked, readying his weapons. Cloud and Sayomi readied them also, as well as Beast. Sora, Donald, and Goofy, however, were shocked.

' _Who's she? A member of the Organization?'_ Sora thought, turning his head to Sayomi, then to the mystery girl. With a shake of his head, he readied his Keyblade as well, his friends not that far behind.

The hooded figure remained silent, raising her hand toward them. Suddenly, dark energy shot out and toward them. "Get back!" Sayomi got in front of everyone and raised her Keyblade. "Reflect!" A dome of magic surrounded everyone, deflecting the dark energy sent their way. When the attack stopped, the barrier disappeared. Sayomi glared at the figure, who only stared back blankly.

The girl slowly raised her other hand and a Keyblade appeared in her hand, shocking everyone. The Keyblade was in the shape of a dragon head, with a long slightly curved neck as the shaft. The guard was square, and had a hint of red. **Fatal Crest**.

"She's got a Keyblade, too?!" Donald exclaimed.

"God, how many of you Keyblade Wielders are there?" Cloud asked in annoyance.

Sayomi and Sora stood in shock, staring at the girl and her Keyblade. Their eyes widened more when said girl put the side of her Keyblade to Belle's neck.

"Belle!" Beast roared in anger and took a step forward, but stopped when the hooded figure pressed the Keyblade harder into Belle's throat as a warning.

"You didn't answer us!" Zack exclaimed, his patience for the girl waning.

She stared at them silently for a moment, before looking directly at Sora.

" _Ven...tus…"_

Sora's eyes widened, hearing the voice in his head. It was clearly female, but the voice was distorted and sounded… hurt? "Hey, did anyone else hear that?" he asked, looking to everyone else.

"What voice?" Goofy asked in confusion, looking at his human friend.

"The girl's voice. I heard it… I think...:" Sora mumbled the last part, starting to doubt it. He looked back at the girl and his eyes widened as he noticed two golden eyes staring at his own blue orbs.

" _Ven...tus… Ven...tus…"_

A shock of pain shot through the boy Keyblade Wielder's heart and he gasped, clutching his chest. His gasp caught the attention of his company and they turned to him with varying degrees of worry.

"Sora!" Donald squawked.

"Sora, are you okay?!" Goofy exclaimed.

Sayomi looked at him with wide eyes, then turned to the figure with a growl. "Why you!" She suddenly shot forward and brought her Keyblade down at her. The girl blocked it with her own, simultaneously loosening her grip on Belle. The brunette took that opportunity and elbowed her captor in the stomach, causing her to double over and groan. Belle smiled, winked secretively at Sayomi, who grinned back with a nod, and ran back to the Beast who captured her in an embrace.

Sayomi glared at the hooded figure, who smirked back. They exchanged blow after blow as they fought. After a few more attacks, they slammed their Keyblades together, pushing against the other. Sayomi took the opportunity to turn to her friends. "Go!"

"We're not just going to leave you!" Zack exclaimed. Cloud had a determined look in his eyes; he wasn't going anywhere, either.

Sayomi opened her mouth to speak but only a pained gasp sounded as the other girl kneed her in the gut. She doubled over in pain, eyes shut tightly. The mystery girl took the opportunity to raise her leg and slam it down on Sayomi's back, causing a scream to tear from her throat as a sickening crack was heard. "Sayomi!" Cloud exclaimed, rushing over. The mystery girl looked at Cloud, her head tilting, before raising her Keyblade and thrusting it down.

"FIRE!"

The girl jumped back as a ball of fire shot out in front of her. She stared at the flame before turning to the one who cast it. Sora stood there, Keyblade out and pointed to her. Donald and Goofy were battle ready as well.

"So it was you!" Sora exclaimed, making the girl turn her full attention to the trio. "You're the one Yen Sid talked about! The one who betrayed their friends!"

The girl tilted her head. Donald looked at Sora questioningly, but said nothing.

"..." The girl was silent. She looked around at everyone around her, noticing quite clearly she was outnumbered. She looked to Sora again, and the boy felt something stir inside him once again.

" _Ven… Ven... tus…"_ The girl slowly raised her hand to Sora and dark energy shot out once more. Sora's eyes widened before they shut tightly, holding his Keyblade out in front of him in defense. The dark energy wrapped around him, creating a pitch-black dome around him and only him. Everyone's wide and shocked eyes, sans Sayomi, turned to look at the encased boy.

"SORA!"

Inside the orb, Sora looked around, eyes wide and full of surprise. He lowered his Keyblade slightly and looked around. Darkness was all he could see. The outside world was completely blocked out by the inky darkness. He raised his fist and pounded on the dark walls around him as if it would help him escape. "Donald! Goofy!" he called out, hoping they could hear him. But it was futile.

His eyelids started to get heavy, his muscles growing weak and heavy as he continued pounding. His hits got weaker, his eyes started to close. His vision grew blurry. _'What's… happening…?'_ Eventually, his eyes closed, and he was once again enveloped in darkness.


	7. Darkness Within

" _Ven… tus…"_

Sora's eyes shot open and he sat up. He looked around at the black void surrounding him and... Wait… when did he sit?

He quickly stood up and looked around, confusion laced in his eyes. "Hello?" he called out, his hands cupped around his mouth. "Hello! Can anyone hear me?!" After a few brief moments of silence, he sighed in annoyance. He decided to see if he could find an exit and took a step forward. He was immediately stopped when the floor shattered. Or rather, the darkness shattered, revealing something a lot brighter and causing him to cover his eyes. After a few seconds his eyes adjusted and he watched as the darkness below, above, and around him peeled away, revealing a place he'd never seen before. It reminded him of Hollow Bastion, but the place looked too… bright.

"Where am I?" he mumbled to himself as he walked around what appeared to be a town square. There was a platform slightly lower than the rest of the town around him with flower beds on the edges and stairs on four sides. Houses surrounded ¾ of the area, while the other fourth was a large staircase leading to a castle. He stared at it in awe, but another sound quickly got his attention.

It sounded like something was being thrown into the air and caught over and over. Sora turned around and was shocked to see Roxas sitting at the edge of the garden, leaning against the elevated wall. In his hand was a wooden Keyblade. "Huh?" Sora mumbled in confusion as he walked toward the male. "Hey, who're you? And what is this place?" he asked, but got no answer. In fact, it didn't seem as though this boy had heard him at all! "Hey, are you oka-"Sora went to touch the boy's shoulder, but his hand went right through. His eyes widened and he stumbled back in shock. What was going on?

The boy continued flipping the Keyblade, a sad expression on his face. Something inside Sora told him that this boy… was the one that girl was calling out to. Sora frowned. Why would he know that? Why was he here? And why did that boy seem so darn familiar to him?

"Ven!"

Sora's head perked up at the voice, but it was just as distorted as the other woman. He turned and was shocked at what he saw.

A girl with red hair in a high and long ponytail, wearing a red outfit, ran up to the boy, Ventus. She looked worried.

"Ven, are you okay?" The girl stopped in front of Ven, in the same spot Sora was in not two minutes ago. The boy looked up at her, frowning.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine…"

"Well, I know that's a lie and a half," she sighed as she sat down beside him. "...Ven, you know that Aqua's only looking out for us."

"I know that… but still…"

"Terra just took it the wrong way." She waved her arms dismissively. "She wasn't trying to hurt either of you. She's just worried. So is the Master." She gave him a soft smile, and he reciprocated with a smaller one. "The Darkness is a terrifying thing, Ventus…" His smile faded when she used his full name. He looked down at his wooden Keyblade. "Master just doesn't want us to get hurt."

"I know… but…" He was still too unsure. The girl sighed and handed him some blue ice cream. He looked at it in confusion, then at her with a raised eyebrow. She looked at him, still holding it out. After a moment he took it and looked down at it.

The girl took a lick then looked at him. "What's wrong?"

"What… is this?"

She chuckled. "What, haven't had ice cream before?" she asked jokingly. At his look, her expression was replaced with one of shock. "You're… you're serious?"

"I never had the time…"

"Come on, man! How could you live without ice cream?! Honestly, it's God's given treat! Go on, give it a try!"

Sora watched as Ven looked at it in worry before licking it. "Salty… no, it's sweet," he mumbled, unsure.

The girl chuckled, getting the attention of both boys. "It's Sea-Salt icecream. It's pretty new to me like this. I usually have it in a cup, but I like it as a popsicle, too." She chuckled. Sora smirked a bit when he noticed Ven's now red-hued cheeks as he ate his ice cream.

Sora smiled softly as he watched the two friends sit together and eat ice cream. He wondered who the girl was… She seemed so kind and loved her friends.

" _This world is cruel…"_

Sora's eyes widened and he whipped around to see the woman in the black coat, her hood still up. She had a solemn look on her face, and though it remained hidden, Sora easily sensed the sadness she held.

"...Who ARE you?" he asked, fully turning to the girl. His guard was up, seeing as how she was the one who sent him here. "And why did you bring me here?" He went to summon his Keyblade, but found he couldn't. "What…?"

" _It won't work here… in this realm…"_ Sora's eyes narrowed at her darkly.

"Who are you?" he asked again. The girl remained silent for a few more moments.

" _...I am the one you are looking for, Sora."_ His guard was up even higher as he got into a defensive stance. She knew his name. But how?

"So you're the one Yen Sid told us about… What do you want with me?" he asked.

" _I merely wished to show you this."_ She gestured behind Sora. Hesitantly, he turned around and found the two teens still sitting and laughing as they ate their food. Sora's eyes softened a bit, then widened when he realized…

"You… You're that girl, aren't you? The one in red," he said as he turned to the hooded figure, frowning. The girl nodded, but remained silent. "Why? Why did you betray them!" He was surprised when Yen Sid said she had betrayed her friends and caused their disappearances, but seeing how close she was to Ven, it only served to turn the surprise to anger. "From what I can tell, you were close to at least one of them! So why?!"

" _..."_ The woman stood silently, frowning at the young boy in front of her. _"You wish to know the true reason as to why I betrayed my friends?"_

"That's what I've been asking!" Sora said in annoyance.

The two stared at each other deeply before, _"It was simple. They were in the way."_

"In the way of what?" Sora asked, his voice softer and more worried. The figure lifted their head, and Sora could swear he saw two golden eyes.

" _Of the Darkness I wished to consume. In order to obtain it, I used my Keyblade and my powers… and absorbed one of my friends to obtain the Darkness within him."_ A smirk formed on her lips, full of insanity as Darkness leaked from her body in wisps. _"And used it to_ kill _the other two…"_

Sora stumbled back, eyes wide at what he heard. She… killed all three of her friends? Is that why they disappeared? How could she… her own friends… His thoughts were brought to Riku and Kairi. He would never even try to harm them if he could help it! Sure, he roughhoused with Riku from time to time, but he never seriously hurt him on purpose just for the sake of power. And when he did hurt him, it was to protect the others he cared about, and even then he didn't want to hurt him! And yet this woman… she had the gall to absorb one friend and kill the others! "You… You're a monster!"

The girl chuckled darkly. _"Yes… I suppose I am,"_ she spoke softly, then looked at Sora. _"But I sensed something in you… something dark. Within your heart is a darkness just waiting to be unleashed. A powerful darkness held back only by the copious amount of light within you. But do not worry, little boy. I will make sure… to do everything in my power… to_ snuff it out _."_

Sora took a step back in fear of this woman, then glared. "I won't let you. My friends and I… we'll stop you! And I will make sure that this darkness will disappear before you have a chance to get at it!" He suddenly winced as a pang of pain hit his heart, and he gripped his chest with one hand.

" _You can feel it, can't you?"_ Sora looked at her questioningly. _"A heart within your own… Another power helping to aid you in your battles. A heart that protects your own from the darkness trying to consume it."_

"What are you TALKING about?!" Sora exclaimed in anger. The pain in his heart was growing.

" _It seems we have run out of time,"_ she muttered with a frown, noticing a strange light surrounding Sora. _"A shame, really. I was hoping to play more, but it seems it will have to wait until next time. Farewell, young Keyblade Master."_

"W-wai-!" Before Sora could protest, he disappeared in a flurry of yellow lights. The girl watched as it floated up into the sky and disappeared.

" _A boy who dreams of being a hero, who sincerely believes in the battle to banish darkness from a world of light…"_ she whispered, staring up at the sky solemnly. _"But light and darkness are equals and where one exist, so to must the other. When he will finally realize this, he will have started the path to becoming a true hero."_ She smirked again, lowering her head as the scenery around her grew dark and cold, the images slowly disappearing back into the darkness. _"The cycle once again repeats. It seems humans are destined to be foolish creatures…"_ Her head lowers and her eyes close. Her smirk slowly disappeared into a frown. Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled out an item and looked down at it. _"Isn't that right, Terra?"_

The object glinted slightly in response.


	8. Hollow Bastion Part 2

_**Oh my God guys, I am SO sorry! This chapter was a pain to write, so I'm sorry if it's not perfect. Anyway, spoilers for RWBY.**_

 _ **~Gummi Ship (Sora)~**_

Sora's eyes blinked open, wincing at the bright light that invaded his vision. After a few moments his eyes adjusted to the light and he was able to open them fully. Pain shot through his head and he groaned, gripping his head with one hand. "Ugh… What happened…?" He looked around the room and realized he was in his room inside the Gummi Ship. He sat up on his bed and looked down.

' _Was that… all a dream?'_ he asked himself in confusion. The girl's words rang through his head.

 _I used my Keyblade and my powers… and absorbed one of my friends to obtain the Darkness within him. And used it to_ kill _the other two…"_

Sora's frown deepened. How could she kill her own friends? They seemed so close… What could have happened to her to make her hunger for the darkness?

" _You can feel it, can't you? A heart within your own… Another power helping to aid you in your battles. A heart that protects your own from the darkness trying to consume it."_

What did she mean by that? A heart within his own… How is that possible? Bodies can't hold two hearts at once…

Can they?

"Ugh… All this confusion's giving me a headache…" the boy groaned, rubbing his forehead. He pulled the blanket off of him and stood. He did a quick stretch before opening the door and walking to the cockpit. The girl's words about a separate heart never left his mind.

He yawned and scratched the back of his head as the cockpit doors slid open, letting him through. "Hey, guys!"

Donald and Goofy turned and smiled widely as they saw their friend finally up. "SORA!"

"WOAH!" He fell back from the weight of both of his friends tackling him. "Oof!"

"Are you okay?" Donald asked in worry, still on top of Sora.

"Yeah… But I… can't breathe!" Sora gasped out. Donald and Goofy quickly scrambled off him and let him stand again. He looked down at his two friends. "What happened to me…?"

Donald and Goofy exchanged looks before looking at Sora again. "Well…"

 _ **~FLASHBACK~**_

"SORA!"

Donald and Goofy ran to their friend and tried to get him out, but ended up only getting burned by the darkness surrounding them. This only served to increase their worries. Zack stared at them, eyes wide in shock. He looked over to his left and saw Cloud holding Sayomi, who was barely conscious.

His head whipped over to Donald as the Duck released a battle cry and shot multiple thunders and blizzards at the mysterious figure. But they only sidestepped or blocked with their Keyblade. "What did you do to Sora?!" the duck asked in rage.

" _I merely wish to show him… the Truth."_

"Huh…?" Zack muttered in confusion. They suddenly heard a faint howl, followed by a thud and a gasp of worry. Everyone turned their heads to see Sora on the ground, unmoving, laying on his stomach. Goofy was kneeling next to him, eyes wide and full of fear for his friend.

"Sora!" Goofy exclaimed, shaking the boy's shoulders and trying to get him to open his eyes or at least say something.

Nothing.

"Damn you!" Zack gripped his sword tightly and glared at the woman, getting in a fighting stance. The girl turned her head toward Zack and he froze, eyes wide. ' _W-what the hell?'_

The girl raised her Keyblade and shot forward, raising it above Zack's head, who only watched with wide eyes. She swung her Keyblade down, but it was blocked by another sword. Cloud's. The blonde boy pushed her back, forcing her to slide a good distance away. Cloud pointed his sword at her. Sayomi had been set down so he could fight her. The woman grinned devilishly, seeing the cold look in Cloud's eyes.

To everyone's surprise, the girl lowered her Keyblade. _"I suppose I have had enough fun for today… But perhaps some time… We can finish this fight."_ She brought her hand up, then brought it around her as she leaned forward in a bow, smirking. _"Until next time…"_

"Wait!" Cloud exclaimed, reaching toward her. He gripped his sword tightly and rushed forward toward her. He swung, but when it went through her, she shattered like glass. Cloud growled at the fact she got away, gripping his sword even tighter. He calmed slightly when he felt Zack's hand on his shoulder. He looked at his friend with a grateful look, then the two turned to Sayomi, who was now fully unconscious.

Cloud ran back to their friend and kneeled, lowering his sword to the ground and picking her up. He looked at her with a worried frown as he stood up, shifting her so her weight was more even. Cloud looked back when Zack walked over to them and picked up the sword. The two boys exchanged a silent conversation before turning to Donald and Goofy, the two still worried for their friend.

"Zack."

"Yeah," Zack said with a nod before walking over to the collapsed boy. Donald and Goofy made space for him, but did not leave his side. The SOLDIER moved the boy so he lay on his back and put his ear to his chest. There was silence for a few moments.

 _Thump-thump… Thump-thump…_

Zack sighed in relief and sat up. "Your friend's fine. Just unconscious," he told the two very worried friends. They let out relieved sighs and smiled at Zack.

"When will he wake up?" Donald asked, his smile fading into worry.

Zack shrugged. "Not sure. But don't worry." He put a comforting hand on their shoulders, giving them a reassuring smile. "Have faith in your friend. He'll be fine."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other for a second before looking back at Zack and nodding.

"Zack."

Said boy turned to Cloud, whose face had regained its emotionless state. Zack nodded and stood, looking back at the magician and warrior. "Take care, okay? Tell Sora we said bye."

"We will. You guys be careful, too," Goofy replied, nodding. Zack grinned widely and saluted before returning to Cloud's side.

"Ready." Cloud nodded and raised his sword, pointing it up at the ceiling. Then, with a bright light, they disappeared.

 _ **~FLASHBACK END~**_

Sora looked down as he digested the information. She wanted to show him the truth? Was her "motivation" for killing her friends the truth she talked about? But why? What would she gain from showing him this? All she did was prove that she was the one who hurt Mickey's friends. And her only gain from it was three new enemies. It didn't make sense.

He shook his head free of those thoughts. He could think on it later. When he looked up, he noticed something strange. Stars were passing them at breakneck speeds. "Um… are we moving?" he asked cautiously. Goofy nodded.

"Yup. It seems the ship wanted to go somewhere fast. It looks like we're headed back to Hollow Bastion by the looks of it," he stated, noting their route.

"Do you think something's wrong?" Sora asked in concern. The three friends pondered as the ship approached closer and closer to Hollow Bastion.

 _ **~?~**_

" _Well, hello, gorgeous."_

" _The White Fang and I are going in in a joint business venture together!"_

" _Just got this thing cleaned!"_

" _Hello, kitty cat. You miss me?"_

" _Little Red, little Red, you are just_ determined _to be the hero of Vale, aren't you?"_

" _You're asking the wrong questions. It's not what I have to gain… it's that I can't afford to lose."_

" _NEO!"_

" _You wanna be the hero? Then play the part and die like every other Huntsman in history!"_

" _I'll do what I do best. Lie, cheat, steal, and SURVI-!"_

When someone says their life flashed before their eyes right before death, they weren't that far off. However, in his case, it happened after his supposed "death". How it was possible was another question entirely. One he wasn't thinking of at the moment.

' _Where… Where am I? What happened? Neo? Where are you…?'_

He was so confused… the last thing he remembered was fighting that Red girl alongside Neo. Neo flew off the side of the ship and-

"Neo!"

Green eyes snapped open as panic flooded through his body. He had no idea if Neo was safe or not, and it scared him. They were thousands of miles in the air surrounded by Grimm. She could have been hurt or worse!

The orange-haired man sat up quickly, but stopped when a massive pang of pain shot through his head. He gripped it tight and shut his eyes tightly. "Ugh… my head…" He mumbled before blinking his eyes open again. "Damnit… What the hell happened to me…?

He tried to think back to what had happened before he woke up. He remembered Neo falling, then he saw red… he fought against Red for a Little longer… and then… Nothing.

' _Dammit! Why can't I remember? All I remember after that was darkness…'_

He sighed and lowered his gloved hand into the cool grass surrounding him. His eyes widened and he looked down. _'Why is there grass?'_ He raised his head, finally taking notice of his surroundings. The area appeared to be a forest, with trees surrounding the man from all sides. He also noticed how dark it was; it was practically pitch black.

Sighing, the man stood, one hand still on his head from the pain he felt. Eventually the pain subsided and he lowered his hand. He took a few steps forward but stopped when he kicked something. Looking down, he noticed his bowler hat on the ground. He picked it up and put it on, noticing with disdain that his cane was nowhere to be found.

The man once again scanned the area and found a light source. With nowhere else to go, the man walked towards it, hoping it lead to civilization.

 _ **~Gummi Ship (Sayomi)~**_

"Ngh…" Sayomi groaned as she awoke from her slumber. She blinked a couple times to readjust to the light before looking around. She was in her quarters on the ship. Ghostwing was lying protectively beside the bed, positioned in a way that if anyone intending to do harm entered, he could quickly protect her.

The Keyblade Master went to sit up, but was met with a large amount of pain shooting through her back. A pained gasp escaped her lips as she fell back on the bed, clenching her side tightly. That's when she noticed the bandages wrapped around her torso. She sighed at the fact she couldn't get up and looked to Ghostwing. She went to reach for him but a voice stopped her.

"I wouldn't move if I were you. You took quite the hit." Sayomi turned her head to look at Cloud, who leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed.

"What happened?"

"That woman… in the hood. She knocked you unconscious," Cloud explained briefly. "When she did, there was a loud crack. She broke a couple ribs, but we used a few spells to fix them." Sayomi nodded.

"Thank you," she said gratefully. She looked over and saw Ghostwing laying there protectively.

"He hasn't moved from that spot," Cloud told her, "It's acting like a guard dog or something."

Sayomi chuckled. "That just shows how loyal he is." Her smile grew at that thought, but then her expression darkened and she turned to Cloud. "You didn't remove my hood, did you?"

Cloud shook his head quickly, sensing the hostility. "No. Zack and I wouldn't do that. You clearly want your face hidden, for whatever reason. We're not going to invade your privacy." The two stared at each other for a while before Sayomi nodded in approval.

"Thank you. I just…" She lowered her head sadly. "It's hard for anyone to see me…"

"Why's that?" Cloud asked. He knew he was treading on dangerous waters. One slip up and she may become even more reclusive.

Sayomi stayed silent for a while before sighing. "I… Do you remember what I told you?"

"About your friends?"

"Yes… You see, I…"

"Yo!" Sayomi and Cloud turned to see Zack standing at the door. "Glad to see you awake." Sayomi smiled at him. "You doin' okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Good," Zack said with a nod and a smile. "So, now that you're awake, where do you want to go?"

The girl looked down in thought, a hand touching her chin. She still had to find the two she was looker for in Beast's castle, and if they weren't there then there were two other places they could be. And then there was that strange feeling she had before she woke up. Another dark force had appeared in one of the worlds, but it was so faint she couldn't detect its location. It wasn't as strong as the Organization, but it wasn't weak like the Shadows or Dusks. It was somewhere in-between. But what was strange about it was… the dark force felt… well, it felt as though she knew the force, or at least the creature it radiated from. It felt… familiar. So she could do a few things:

A) She could search around for the strange presence on multiple worlds, hoping she would find it early on. B) She could search for it while searching for the other two. C) She could give up on one of the searches. Or D) She could go after her first objective first.

Seeing as how she knows there are only three places these people would be, she decided to go with option D. "Let's head to Hollow Bastion. We can see how everyone's doing."

Cloud nodded, though his mouth was slightly pulled downward in worry. Zack, however, was both excited and nervous. And it was clear as day.

"Hollow Bastion? That's where Aerith lives now, right?!" Sayomi chuckled at his eagerness at seeing her. Cloud also let out a quick chuckle, and Zack realized how he was acting and looked away in embarrassment. "I mean… that's cool… Hey! Stop laughing!" Sayomi, at this point, was full-blown laughing at the sudden change in attitude. Zack pouted and turned to Cloud. "Cloud, help me out here…" To his horror, Cloud was looking at him with a small smirk, but that was enough to show that Zack was on his own. "Aw come on…" He slumped, then jolted slightly when he felt hot breath on the side of his head. Zack swiftly turned to his right and saw Ghostwing sitting on its hind legs and staring at Zack with a tilted head. It suddenly smiled wide and gave Zack a teasing and knowing look, causing Sayomi to nearly topple over with laughter, Cloud's smirk to grow, and Zack to lower his head in defeat and to hide his now beat-red face. "Shut up…"

 _ **~Hollow Bastion (Sora)~**_

Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked through the street toward Merlin's house. "I wonder what's up?" Sora voiced, confusion and a small bit of worry in his tone. He hoped there wasn't too much trouble for Leon and the others. He was still a bit shaken up from his encounter with that mystery girl. She made no sense to him. She was so close to her friends, but easily betrayed them for power and darkness. What human being could do such a thing?

"Oh no!" Sora was snapped out of his thoughts by Donald's worried cry. He turned his head and saw three Heartless Soldiers fleeing from Merlin's house, disappearing soon after.

THe young Keyblade wielder shook the thoughts from his head. He had more important matters to deal with. "Come on, let's check it out," Sora told his partners, running into the house.

 _ **~Hollow Bastion (Sayomi)~**_

"This place looks kinda gloomy… I guess I know why Cloud decided to live here for a while. OW!" Zack glared at Cloud as he rubbed his head, the latter looking away in displeasure.

"This place used to look so beautiful… But when Maleficent came, everything became shrouded in darkness. It was terrible…" Sayomi explained, frowning. Her eyes were downcast. Cloud and Zack looked at each other for a moment before looking back at her.

"So where does Aerith live?" Zack asked, wanting to get off a subject that clearly haunted his friend. Thankfully it worked, and Sayomi showed them to Merlin's house.

"She doesn't live here, but she and the others hang around here a lot," she explained as they walked. "In fact, now that I think about it, this is the only house I know of…" she muttered in thought.

"What?"

"Nothing," she shook her head and turned a corner. She suddenly stopped, eyes wide, when she felt multiple weak but dark presences. She and the other two quickly made their way to Merlin's just in time to see Sora rush out of the house. Goofy and Donald were fighting the Heartless.

Goofy turned to look at Sora briefly. "Did ya bring the book, Sora?"

"Huh?" Sora turned and, sure enough, a couple Soldiers were running off with the book. "Hey!" He started to chase them.

"Fira!" A big ball of fire shot at the Soldier, vaporizing it instantly. Sayomi quickly grabbed and shielded the book from the black creatures.

"You!" Sora exclaimed in shock. The hooded girl turned to him, not noticing a Heartless behind her. Luckily, Zack saw and swiftly cut it in half.

"Thanks, Zack." Said boy nodded and turned back to the enemies.

With a couple of good slash attacks, and a few spells shot in for good measure, the Heartless were all defeated and the two groups went back into the house. While Zack was chatting animatedly with Donald and Goofy, Sayomi walked over to Sora. The boy was sitting on the bed, his head down and deep in thought. The young girl frowned at him, sitting down next to him, the tilt of the bed causing him to snap out of his thoughts and turn his head to her.

"You doing alright?" she asked, frowning. After she woke up, Zack and CLoud had told her what had transpired after she passed out.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just thinking."

"That doesn't sound like you at all…"

"What do you mean by that?!"

Sayomi chuckled. "Nothing, nothing. Anyway, you'd probably want this back." She took the large storybook and handed it to him carefully. "Thankfully I got there before any real damage could've been done to it." Sora took it from her and inspected the perfectly fine cover. No scratches. It was still perfect. "I've always loved this book... " Sora looked at her and saw a wistful and sad smile.

"You know Pooh?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No, not personally. But even so…" She stopped, as if realizing something. After a moment, she spoke again, this time having a more cheerful tone. "You probably want to make sure your friend's alright, hm?"

The change in her attitude could have given him whiplash. It was strange to Sora. When they talked about Pooh, she seemed really depressed. Now she was happy, as if she didn't just sound like she was on the verge of tears. For a moment, he wondered what she was about to say before the slight change in subject.

He looked at the book and nodded, getting back on track. Pooh took priority right now. He'd just ask her later. "Right. Mind holding this for me?" he asked, holding out the book. He wanted to make sure she didn't leave again. Thankfully, she nodded and took the book back. She held it open for him, and he was soon engulfed in a bright light before fading into the book.

 _ **~100 Acre Wood: Pooh's House~**_

When the light faded, Sora found himself at the entrance to Pooh Bear's house. He looked around for only a moment before he found Pooh sitting on a log. He walked up to him. "Hey Pooh!"

The small yellow bear looked to the tall human and smiled. "Oh, hello, Sora! How are you today?"

Sora rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Heh, well I've been better…" he muttered, lowering his hand. "What about you?"

"Oh I'm quite fine. Thank you. In fact, I was about to start doing by stoutness exercises. Would you care to join me?" Pooh asked, getting off of the hollow log. Sora shook his head.

"Sorry, I can't stay very long. I just wanted to check up on you."

"Alright. Well, It was nice to see you again!" the young bear said happily, not at all put down by the refusal. Sora smiled. He could tell how Sayomi would love this place, and Pooh.

"You, too."

 _ **~Hollow Bastion: Merlin's House~**_

When the light faded again, Sora found himself back in Merlin's room by the bed. But to his surprise, Sayomi wasn't there. Neither was Zack or Cloud. "Hey, where'd they go?" he asked his friends.

"Well, Merlin came back while you were in the book. When he saw Sayomi, he said they had to talk in private. When they came back, Sayomi, Zack, and Cloud all left in a hurry," Goofy explained. Both he and Donald frowned at the saddened look Sora had.

"Something wrong?" Donald asked his friend. Sora quickly shook himself out of it and grinned.

"Yeah, I'm good." The other two didn't seem convinced…

 _ **~Hollow Bastion: Town Square (Sayomi)~**_

" _So what's this about?" The Keyblade Master asked, looking to the wizard. Her voice was dead serious, knowing that anything he said now was of the utmost importance. Not to mention he apparated them to a secluded part of the city: District Zero._

 _She was leaning against the wall of a building, her arms crossed. Her hood was down. She had no reason to keep it up when she was with him, since he already knew of her appearance._

" _Well, a while ago you had asked me for a favor, correct?" he asked, gaining a nod in response. After explaining her situation to him, she had asked for a favor. To her surprise, he accepted and they went their separate ways. "You asked me to help in the search for those two people. I think I know where they are hiding."_

" _You found them?!" Sayomi exclaimed, barely keeping her whisper. She was looking wide-eyed at the old wizard. She stood straight and faced him._

 _Merlin shook his head. "I'm not certain, but it's a very good lead." Saying nodded, her face going serious once more. "Those two aren't here. Of that, I'm certain. I searched high and low and they weren't anywhere in Hollow Bastion."_

" _Then where are they?" she asked, "I've had a couple ideas myself."_

" _Well, when you were telling me about them, one of them caught my interest. Most specifically, the boy. You said he controlled flowers, correct?"_

" _From what I understand. He's like Ruby Rose. Everywhere he goes, rose petals follow," she stated with sarcasm and at roll of her eyes._

" _But if I recall correctly, he was your favorite in that band of misfits."_

 _Saying blushed slightly and glared at him, blowing a few stray bangs out of her heterochromic eyes. "Not the point."_

" _Right, right. Well his flower motif got me into thinking about the many different worlds with the most nature. I also had to take into account which species was dominant: human or animal. When I thought back to the many worlds you had mentioned to me earlier, one stuck out the most. Er... what was it? Oh yes, I believe it was the Dwarf Woodlands, if I'm saying that right?"_

 _Sayomi nodded in response to his question. "That's one of the worlds I was considering as well. Do you know if they are both there or just the one?"_

" _If I'm correct, then both should be there. Though the girl doesn't have a big enough connection to the world, she seems to have a good enough connection with him to garner her being there as well."_

 _Sayomi sighed in relief. Finally, she had a solid lead. "Thank you so much, Merlin. I owe you big time for this," she sighed, putting her hood back on and tucking in her long hair._

 _The old wizard shook his head. "I am happy to help." He suddenly frowned, his face and tone turning serious, "Sayomi. You must tell you friends. If they find out on their own or, even worse, by King Mickey, then it will only be worse on you."_

 _His strict tone cause Sayomi to look down, pulling her hood down over her head even more. "I know… I'm just scared… I don't want them to abandon me again. I don't think I could take it."_

 _The old man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I understand it's hard for you, but continuing to put it off will only result in the damage being worse. If you're the one to tell them and explain, then they will be more inclined to listen. But once they hear from a third party of your past, then their judgement will be clouded."_

 _Sayomi said nothing for a moment before she sighed. "I'm just… ...I'll tell them soon."_

" _Alright," Merlin agreed, "But just keep this in mind, dear child: that a single lie discovered is enough to create doubt in every truth told."_

Sayomi shook her head, her thoughts once more on the task at hand: finding Aerith. Despite now knowing where her targets were, she _did_ promise Zack they were going to pay Aerith a visit. So here they were, going in random directions around town in hopes of finding her.

"This is getting us nowhere. Didn't you say you've been here plenty of times, before?" Cloud asked the hooded girl, irritation laced in his otherwise-calm voice.

Sayomi's head jerked to look at him, seemingly snapping out of her thoughts. "Huh? Sorry, I didn't catch that…"

"Hey, are you alright?" Zack stopped walking, his excited aura now replaced with one of confusion and worry. "You've been spacing out a lot ever since you talked with Merlin," he pointed out. Sayomi lowered her head in silence.

"Sai?" Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder. He wanted her to know that he (and Zack) were with her.

She said nothing for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. Finally, after getting what she wanted to say, she started to open her mouth. "I-"

"Cloud?"

Sayomi internally winced as her mouth clamped shut. The two boys turned and saw Aerith herself walking toward them. Zack beamed and ran up to her, an action quickly reciprocated by the young woman. They started to talk, with Zack using hand gestures, as Cloud and Sayomi stayed back, not wanting to ruin such a happy reunion.

The young woman lowered her head in thought. What does she do now? She wants to tell them so badly, despite the bad feeling she gets each time. She's tried twice now to tell them but was interrupted both times! She didn't want a repeat of last time. Hell, that's the LAST thing she wants, or needs. But one of the problems is the fact that she doesn't know how to tell them. She was never very good at explaining things like that. Hell, when she told Axel, she had to try multiple times to get the message across. She just hopes that Mickey won't get to them before she can have the chance.

Cloud watched her from the corner of his eye, his frown dipping just a little more. She was once again lost in her own little world, and he truly wished that she would tell them what she was thinking. She was clearly troubled and worried, as shown by the crease in her brow. And she had been in her own world multiple times while just on this world.

He wasn't the only one who noticed it, either. Zack was just as worried about her and what she was hiding from them.

With a sigh, he decided to leave her in her thoughts, turning to look back at the 'bickering couple'. His thoughts, however, never left Sayomi. Not even for a moment.

After talking for a while afterward and catching up, they said goodbye to Aerith and started walking away. "Be careful, you three. Alright?"

"We will!" Sayomi replied, saving whilst smiling widely.

The three friends went to the town square and restocked on any supplies before returning to their ship, where a very happy Ghostwing was eagerly waiting for them. The large Dragon shot like a blur toward Zack, slamming into him and causing them both to fly back and into the wall of the ship. Sayomi laughed, and Cloud smirked, as they watched the Dragon laying on top of Zack and licking his face like a puppy.

After they decided on their next destination, they retired to their rooms. However, only one of them stayed awake.

Sayomi lay on her bed, her hands behind her head, her hood down and out of her view. She stared at the blank ceiling with a sad look as memories flashed through her head.

" _Really? You want to watch this?"_

" _Is something wrong with that?!" another voice exclaimed in indignation._

 _Sayomi shook her head. "No, it's just… you're like, twenty-four.."_

" _And? I can like Winnie the Pooh! He's so adorable, and he'd a part of my childhood!" the other girl protested strongly. She wasn't going to back down. "Besides, you like it too!" Sayomi sighed, but smiled._

" _True. I think Piglet's my favorite. He's just so cute! What about you?"_

" _Hm…" the other girl hummed, taking the question into great consideration. "I like Eeyore."_

" _Why?"_

" _Because he's so sad… He looks like he needs a friend. So I'd like to think I'm his friend," the mystery girl stared in thought. Both girls were silent after that until Sayomi broke it._

" _Wow… that's really kind and noble. Are you okay?"_

" _Shut up!" The next thing she knew, Sayomi had a pillow in her face. But she still laughed._

Sayomi smiled bitterly at the memory that surfaced. She only wished she could hear that voice one more time…

 _ **Alright, so… a lot of people waking up in this chapter. And a little flashback to Sayomi's life. I'll leave it up to speculation on what happened to her or even where she originated. I'd love to hear any theories you guys have!**_

 _ **Also, Roman Torchwick! For those who don't know, Roman is a crime boss and one of the main antagonists for the first three volumes of RWBY before he was promptly axed off. Shame, really. He was one of my favorite characters. But I digress.**_

 _ **Who do you guys think Sayomi is looking for? I left pretty big hints. Unless you played Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories or played KHII Final Mix, you wouldn't know who those two are.**_

 _ **Another thing I decided to do was skip Pooh's world. To be honest, it was one of my favorite worlds, but I felt it didn't fit well with my story and I didn't feel like writing them. So I made sure the book was fine.**_

 _ **Whew, now that That's out of the way, let me know what you think! I'd like to hear any theories or ideas you guys may have about any point in the story. Maybe even parts before this certain game *wink wink nudge nudge*.**_


	9. Interlude

_**Hey guys! I WAS going to upload this tomorrow, but I decided I didn't want to. Mainly because I'll be tired as heck since I have to wake up at 4:30 am and go to work at 5:30 because of Daylight Savings Time, according to my boss. I don't know if that's accurate, though. But I don't really care. ANYWAY! I have the next chapter already finished and I'm working on the NEXT one after that. This chapter is sort of an interlude. You guys might not like that, but I promise the next chapter will be pretty long to make up for it. ^^ On with the show~!**_

"Huh? Who are you?" Namine looked over at the very weak man. He was wobbling, pain evident on his face. Namine frowned as he walked closer to her. She stood, ready to defend herself if needed. But right before anything could happen, he collapsed.

She gasped and ran to him, kneeling down to check his pulse. She froze when she found none, and was even more shocked when he groaned in pain.

He didn't have a pulse. Yet he still was clearly alive. She looked him over again. _'Another Nobody?'_ she thought to herself.

She pushed him onto his back to get a proper look at him. He had short orange hair under a bowler hat, with bangs that covered one of his eyes. He also had a white coat and dark pants, with a gray scarf around his neck.

His face was contorted in pain and it was obvious why. He must have been attacked by Nobodies on his way here. _They_ probably sensed his presence and sent a couple Dusks to retrieve him, but he fought back and came here.

Knowing DiZ would return shortly, she grabbed the man and dragged him to a spare room. After placing a few spells around the place so as to keep him hidden, she stayed seated until he woke. She knew he would have plenty of questions.

* * *

Xaldin sat in silence in the meeting room, his chair elevated like the rest. He was thinking back to what he saw back at the Beast's Castle. The girl in the hood… the one who was standing with the Keyblade wielder. She seemed so familiar to him. Yet at the same time, she felt foreign.

Her voice and weapon were familiar, yet the way she held herself as well as the air around her were drastically different. Without looking at her face, he couldn't be completely sure if she was who he thought she was. Even so, he was almost certain. He just needed the hood to get off somehow.

The sound of a portal opening and closing alerted him to another person in the room. He looked up and locked eyes with the leader himself.

"Your report, Xaldin."

The lancer nodded. "The process of turning the Beast into a Heartless was going well. He was completely fueled by anger, even attacking his friends as well as the Keyblade wielder."

"However?" the Leader's deep voice penetrated the air in a questioning tone.

Xaldin was quiet for a moment before continuing. "However, he was saved by Sora, and all the progress we had was lost. I sent a Heartless to deal with them, and almost succeeded; but it was…interrupted. Another Keyblade wielder in a cloak similar to ours came to their rescue along with two others."

"Another Keyblade wielder, you say?" his leader said in thought. "What did they look like?"

"Her hood was up, making it impossible for me to see their face, but the body shape was definitely that of a female."

"Was she dual-wielding?"

"No, but I would assume she was hiding the ability, or at least had little reason to use it. But before I left, I saw something interesting." Xaldin looked down as he recalled the strange occurrence. "As I went to leave, I felt a strange distortion in the area. When I checked, I found another hooded stranger with Sora and his friends, and by the look of things, she was a new enemy."

Xemnas seemed to grin at the new information. He was certain now that the mysterious person was indeed the one he had been looking for. It has taken many years after their last encounter, and now he cannot wait to find her again.

' _Finally, you and I will be reunited once more...Sayomi.'_

* * *

The first thing that registered in his head was pain. The second was the soft thing he was laying on.

He blearily opened his eyes, thankful that it wasn't too bright in the room. He looked around, noticing the almost rust-colored walls and dim light. It seemed like a bedroom, with a bureau, a bedside table, a dresser, and a large window in the far wall. Which meant he was laying on the bed.

He tried to sit up, but was stopped by a pair of small hands and a gentle voice telling him to be careful. When he looked to his side, he saw a petite young girl with blonde hair sitting next to him. He was tempted to force the girl into telling him where the hell he was and what happened to him, but his exhaustion won out and he laid back down.

"Who-" he started to ask, but was stopped again by the girl, whose hand was now in his face. She smiled kindly at him and handed him a cup of water to drink. He stared at it for a moment, trying to decide whether it has been poisoned. The girl chuckled.

"Don't worry. It's not tampered with. I wouldn't have taken care of you if I was just going to poison you."

She did have a point, he supposed. With slight reluctance (after all, he still didn't really trust this mystery girl) he drank the water. His throat felt so much better afterward, and he sighed in content.

The girl smiled. "I'm sure you have a lot of questions…"

"Yes… First of all, who are you?" he asked, looking at her. "And where am I?" She only smiled patiently.

"My name is Naminé," she replied, gesturing to herself, then to the room around her. "You're in a hidden room within an old mansion. The town you're in is called Twilight Town."

Now was when Roman was confused. Well, more confused than he had been. Where the hell was Twilight Town? He had never heard of such a place.

"You must be very confused Mr…?"

"Roman. Roman Torchwick." Namine smiled.

"Roman, where do you remember being last?" she asked. Roman thought for a moment.

"I was fighting on top of an airship. I was with an accomplice of mine, and we were fighting a Huntress. But then Neo flew off the side, and I continued the battle. I screamed to the girl, swung my cane, and then nothing but darkness…"

Naminé was silent as she digested this information. He sounded like a bad guy in that situation, but she wouldn't judge. Axel was pretty evil, too, but he switched sides thanks to Sayomi. Maybe this guy was capable of that, too? She's just have to try.

"Do you know what happened to me?" Roman asked, his tone serious as he looked at her with narrowed eyes. Naminé quickly shook her head, waving her arms dismissively and defensively.

"I didn't do anything to you, I promise. But… I think I do know why you're here." She looked down at her lap, taking a deep breath. She explained to him all about Heartless and Nobodies and what happens when a person loses their heart to a Heartless.

"So you think…that I'm one of these Nobodies?" he asked, trying to take it all in.

Naminé nodded. "The Creatures of Grimm you had described sound similar to Heartless. Black, disappear on contact, attracted to negative emotions and the darkness in one's heart. It's possible that either the Grimm are a subspecies of Heartless, or some Heartless managed to travel into your world. If that's the case, then the Grimm that attacked you was actually a Heartless, and was drawn to the darkness in your heart. But your heart was strong enough, and created a Nobody."

"But why me? And how can I get back home?" Roman was worried, but not so much for his sake. He was worried about Neo. What happened to her? Is she alright? Hopefully she was…

"I'm not sure. Traveling through worlds isn't something I've done often…"

"Then you're in luck."

Both Roman and Naminé's heads snapped toward the door, the new voice putting both on alert. Standing in the doorway was none other than Axel, a cheeky grin on his face and his arms crossed.

"Axel!" Naminé exclaimed, standing from her seat. "What are you doing here?"

"I sensed a dark presence similar to the Organization's and wanted to see what was up."

At Roman's questionable glance, Naminé explained, "Axel's a Nobody, too. Remember when I explained about Nobodies? Well, there's an Organization made up of twelve human-like Nobodies. Axel's one of them."

"Previously," Axel quickly corrected, surprising Naminé. "I haven't been on their side in years."

"But... you're still working for them," the young girl shyly pointed out.

Axel slyly pressed a finger to his lips, indicating the secrecy of the subject. Naminé frowned, but relented.

"So, you're the new Nobody, hm?" Axel asked, turning the subject back to Roman. Said man nodded and Axel sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Okay, here's the deal. We don't know what powers or abilities you have, and since you're new, I doubt you know, either. If the Organization finds you, they'll no doubt try to recruit you. And we definitely can't have that…"

"Because they're the bad guys, right?" Roman asked, crossing his arms. "Back in my world I was a bad guy. What makes these guys so different?"

"Organization XIII is much more dangerous than thievery. They're ruthless killers that will do anything for their goal. If they even suspect you to be a threat, even if in their own ranks, they won't hesitate to kill you…" Naminé said softly, looking down at the ground as she remembered Castle Oblivion. How Marluxia ordered Vexen assassinated, and how they trapped her there and forced her to do their dirty work.

Roman was silent as he thought. He never really worked for the good guys, but it seemed in this instance he had little choice. "So what then? If you sensed me, then most likely they did, too. So I can't lay low."

Axel and Naminé shared a glance before seemingly coming to a decision. Naminé turned to him.

"Well, we know of someone who we think can help you. She's been going to other worlds longer than even Axel. And she knows things that no one else does. She may be able to help you."

"She's the reason I'm not working with the Organization anymore. If anything, I'm like a spy. Not to mention the favors I owe her," Axel said with an eye roll.

"So you think this girl can help me get back to my world?" Roman asked.

"If nothing else, she'll protect you from the Organization. Maybe teach you a spell or two for protection while you learn to control your powers."

"Though she'll definitely hate the attention she'd get from helping you. Then again, she's already on their hit list. Number one priority." Axel smirked at the annoyed face she had made before she went into complete silence.

"What's her name? If I'm going to be traveling with her, I might as well know her name."

Naminé smiled in relief at his willingness to travel with a, to him, complete stranger. " Her name's Sayomi. And she's a Keyblade Master."

 _ **So what do you think? Tell me in your reviews! It's honestly killing me not uploading all of the chapters I got right now, but it'll be worth it, I promise.**_


	10. Dwarf Woodlands

_**Hey guys! So I am currently working on Chapter twelve of A Nobody Worth Remembering. So there's currently no need to worry about me putting this thing on hold for a while. This chapter's pretty long, so I hope you guys enjoy!**_

* * *

"Hey Sayomi?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you noticed anything strange?"

"What do you mean? Everything seems pretty good to me…"

"That's just it!"

"Do tell."

"Well, it's all peaceful. Shouldn't we be fighting Heartless? I mean, Sora and his friends fought them in Hollow Bastion, and before that was the giant boss Heartless in Beast's Castle. Yet wherever we go, it's completely barren! It's like they're avoiding us!"

Cloud looked at him. "We fought a Heartless back on Berk. But you're definitely on to something. I admit that it's strange."

Sayomi shrugged. "I don't know."

"They're drawn to the Keyblade, right?"

"Yeah, but maybe they have another target?" Sayomi thought aloud. Inside, she was sweating bullets. She supposed it _was_ pretty obvious that something was off. But the reason was linked to her past… and she just wasn't ready to tell them. Unfortunately, she knew she had to tell them soon; before they are needed in Hollow Bastion for the fight against the Heartless. By then, she knew, without a doubt, that it would be too late.

"It could be possible, but highly unlikely," Cloud argued, looking down at her. His eyes were narrowed slightly in suspicion. He wanted to believe she wasn't hiding something, but her stance was more guarded than usual. She moved on to another subject with Zack, leaving him to mull in his thoughts.

"So this is a world you went to eleven years ago?" Zack asked, looking around at the large forest. They were walking along a path, with only Sayomi knowing exactly where they were going.

"Yep!" she popped the 'P', "I even have a little memento from here. It's a very pretty gem I got from one of the seven dwarves."

"There are dwarves here?" Zack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Mhm!" She grinned. "Seven. They live in a cottage with beautiful and kind lady and they work in a mine."

"And why are we here again?" Cloud asked. There had to be a different reason than to go see old friends. He knew that body language, and to him, it clearly indicated that she was here for a different reason than playing catch-up with the miners.

"I'm looking for a couple people. I heard that they were spotted here, but there's no guarantee they're still here, if at all."

"Who are they?"

Sayomi only smirked at her closest friend. "You'll see."

She turned away and he allowed his mouth to twitch upward slightly. Mysterious as ever. At least some things haven't changed.

A growl alerted him to their other companion. Cloud turned his head to the right and saw Ghostwing walking next to them. He didn't know what the hell her thought process was with this beast. She brings a large mythical creature to another world. It could easily be taken as a threat, and would be very bad for her and them. But this is Sayomi he was talking about. He'd go crazy if he tried to understand her.

They all suddenly heard a rustle in the woods and stopped walking, their guards up. Sayomi gestured to Ghostwing, and the dragon shot forward first toward the noise. Everything was silent for a moment before a loud scream was heard. One that was very familiar to Sayomi. With a gasp of shock, she rushed through the woods, followed closely by Zack and Cloud.

After a minute of running through the woods they ran into a small clearing. In that clearing was Ghostwing pinning down a person. They seemed out of breath, signifying they were running away from the Dragon. Zack and Cloud took out their weapons, the sound getting the person's attention.

"Who the hell are you people?!" they exclaimed, the voice definitely that of a female's.

Sayomi recognized the voice instantly and turned to Zack and Cloud. "Guys, it's okay."

They looked at her questioningly. After a moment Cloud put his sword away, giving Zack a look to do the same. If Sayomi said it was alright, then they should trust her. She gave a smile to Cloud before turning and walking toward the girl.

"Ghostwing, off," she commanded. The Dragon obeyed and climbed off the mystery girl. Sayomi bent down slightly and held a hand out to the girl. She looked at the outstretched hand before swatting it away with a scoff and standing up, taking a step back from Sayomi.

"Who are you?" she asked with a dark tone, "That coat… are you with the Organization?" She growled at Sayomi, her eyes narrowing.

"Huh? Me? With those creeps? No thanks," Sayomi scoffed right back, waving her hand dismissively. "My name's Sayomi. I'm not exactly one of their allies."

The girl raised her eyebrow, her guard still up. "Alright… Why are you here?"

"I received information that two people are here. Two ex-members of Organization XIII-"

Sayomi quickly dodged a knife that shot past where her face was just moments ago. She looked from the knife to the girl, seeing multiple knives between her fingers. Sayomi blinked incredulously. ' _Where the heck did she get those?!'_

The girl's eyes narrowed and she readied another knife throw but froze when a large buster sword appeared and pressed against her neck. Her eyes widened before narrowing and looking behind her, seeing Cloud with an angry look on his face. "Don't even try it." She growled, but relented, lowering her arms.

"Thanks, Cloud." Sayomi dusted her coat off then walked over to the mystery girl, receiving a glare from the latter. "Calm down. We're not here to hurt you. Now, I'd really appreciate it if you showed us to where you and your dear friend are living, Arlene."

Arlene, previously known in the Organization as Larxene, growled as she glared at the hooded figure, knowing she had no choice.

* * *

Lumaria sat in a chair inside the warm house, sipping his tea. He set the cup down on the small plate and looked up from the cup, his eyes studying the hooded girl that sat on the couch opposite of him. She sat calmly, her guard non-existent. He was surprised when Arlene returned with no wood or food, but instead with three people; two swordsmen and a hooded girl. His first thought was that she was a member of the Organization. But after her explanation, found that to be false. She actually intrigued him immensely, especially since she knew of their Nobody counterparts. She wouldn't tell him anything more than necessary, which he both admired and hated.

He set the cup and saucer down on the table and leaned back, placing an elbow on the chair's arm and letting his cheek rest on his fist. "You're a very interesting girl, Sayomi. A girl shrouded in mystery yet apparently knows more than she lets on."

"Secrecy is something I've learned and mastered over the years. You've had your fair share of secrets, too," she stated. He knew what she meant, though how she knew about his plans to overthrow the Organization back in Castle Oblivion was a mystery to him.

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I suppose you're right."

"So… Will you help me?"

Lumaria hummed in thought, closing his eyes. "What would be in it for us?"

"Protection." That caught his attention, and he gave her a look to elaborate. "The Organization is powerful. I have no doubt you could hold your own, but there are stronger forces at work. A man named Xehanort is the one responsible for all of this destruction. He could easily kill the both of you." She looked down, her tone turning grave, "I have dealt with Xehanort in the past. He is ruthless. He will lie, cheat, and murder to get what he wants. And what he wants is the Keyblade War."

"I do recall Xemnas mentioning something about a war…" Lumaria wondered aloud.

"Plus, you can get the chance to beat some of them into the dirt. Might I recommend Xigbar? He's been a pain in my butt for eleven years…" Sayomi muttered in aggravation.

Lumaria chuckled, leaning forward and grabbing his tea once again and taking a sip. "I'll think about it. With the stunt your pet caused, I doubt Arlene will want to help, but I'm sure I can convince her. Though you'll have to pay me back for any and all injuries I'll obtain while doing so."

Sayomi chuckled, a small smile showing on her face. "Thank you so much, Marluxia."

"It's Lumaria now. I don't care much for that name," he stated calmly, taking another sip. Her smile only grew.

"It's more manly than Lumaria, though. You can't argue with that."

He chuckled, smiling lightly. "I suppose you're right." He set the cup down as Sayomi stood and took a bow.

"Thank you so much." She straightened and reached into her pocket, pulling out a strange star-shaped item and handing it to him. He took it with a raised eyebrow.

"What is this?"

"It's a Star Shard. It allows you to teleport between worlds. I put in the coordinates of what world we'll need you in. All you have to do is wait for it to start blinking, which means I'm signalling for help. You and Arlene just grab hold of it and it'll bring you to my location."

Lumaria looked the item over. "Is it… safe?"

"Kinda."

He gave her a look.

"Well, it'll be a rough ride. But you'll be safe. Just be prepared to land." He nodded, satisfied for now with the answer, as he knew that was all he'd get.

"Alright. I will wait for the signal."

Sayomi smiled and nodded. She turned and walked to the door, but stopped just as she grabbed hold of the handle. "Oh! One more thing…" She turned to him, her eyes glinting under the hood. "Be prepared to fight."

Lumaria stayed silent as she walked out of the room, staring at where she once was. He looked down at the star shard, thinking over the discussion he just had. After a minute he turned and looked up at the large scythe that rested on the wall. Ever since he returned to his home world, he found little use for the weapon. Any Heartless that appeared, if any, were weak and few. He stood up and walked to the bladed weapon, tracing his fingers over the blade lightly. His eyes hardened and he gripped the Star Shard tightly before grabbing the scythe and taking it off the wall. If he was going to fight, he needed a sharpened blade.

* * *

Sayomi closed the door behind her and took a few steps from the house before stopping and just… letting the scene before her sink in.

"Augh! Let me go!"

"Just shut up and die already!"

Arlene's hands were wrapped around Zack's neck, her expression revealing how pissed off she currently was. Zack was on his knees, trying to rip her arms off of his neck and breathe, which he was only partially succeeding in.

Cloud and Ghostwing were on the sidelines. Cloud's face was passive, his arms crossed, and Ghostwing was tilting his head curiously as he watched the one-sided fight.

Sayomi walked up to the two and stood by Cloud, remaining silent for a moment before asking, "So...what happened?"

"Zack was being an idiot."

"What did he do?"

"He insulted her by saying she was insane as hell."

"...Freaking idiot."

Cloud, Sayomi, and Ghostwing continued watching before Sayomi decided to break it up, snapping her fingers and pointing to the fighting duo. The Dragon snorted before rushing forward and gently (for a Dragon) prying the two apart. Zack fell to his hands and knees, gasping for breath, while Arlene backed off, still apprehensive of the four-winged beast.

"So, how was your little talk?" Cloud asked, glancing at her through the corner of his eye.

"It went well. They're going to help us. I have no doubt about it."

"You seem confident," he noted. She didn't reply, still smiling at the scene in front of her. He shook his head in exasperation, but watched alongside her.

* * *

The four friends soon departed, walking back to their entrance point. As they walked, Sayomi and Cloud discussed where they were going next and what their next plan was. Sayomi had listed off a variety of worlds, including places known as Port Royal, Neverland, Pride Lands, Atlantica (Oddly enough, this was the only world she absolutely REFUSED to go to), Arendelle, Castle Oblivion (she was very secretive on why exactly she wanted to go there), Corona, The Land of Dragons, and the last one was going back to Berk.

"I think going back to Berk is probably the best thing to do. I'm worried about Hiccup and what'll happen to him…"

"Are you sure that's wise? He wasn't very happy about what happened last time with the dragon Heartless."

"Yeah, I know..."

Sayomi suddenly stopped, holding her arm out to her side to halt Zack and Cloud. Her eyes narrowed as she sensed a dark presence and released a sigh. ' _I suppose it was only a matter of time…'_ She heard Ghostwing climb up a tree, latching onto a few branches, and growl darkly. He must have sensed it, as well, making her wince slightly. ' _Oh goodie…'_

"What's wrong with Ghostwing?" Zack asked, pointing at the hostile Dragon.

"He's sensing something," Cloud stated, glancing at the Dragon before looking at Sayomi. "You okay?"

"They're here…" she muttered, those words instantly getting Cloud alert, Zack following shortly after.

Suddenly a black portal appeared in front of them for a few moments before disappearing, leaving a cloaked person in its place.

Sayomi got into a ready stance while Zack and Cloud put their hands on their swords. Ghostwing jumped down from the tree and screeched at the mystery figure. The figure seemed surprised to see the large beast, but quickly collected themselves.

"Well now, you certainly know how to pick up strays," the mysterious figure said, gesturing to the boys and Dragon.

Sayomi's eyes narrowed at the voice. She knew that voice, but it's been so long, she can barely register it. "You… Who are you?"

"I find that question silly, especially coming from a girl who seemingly knows of everything."

"Hmph… I think you and I both know I don't know everything."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. How could you have known about our plans in Castle Oblivion if that claim was false?"

She paused at that, then have a sheepish smile. "I suppose you got me with that. But I'm still no miracle worker. Besides, how could you possibly know what's up my sleeves? I could have a spy in your ranks, for all you know."

"Even if a spy were amongst us, I guarantee that some of the things you have achieved would go beyond them," the figure replied smugly, and it finally clicked as to who this guy was.

"Luxord… I should've known."

The figure, now deemed Luxord, pulled back his hood, revealing his pierced face, short light hair, and smug grin. "Ah, now onto my second point. How could you have known it was me before I even introduced myself?"

"Simple. I've watched the Organization closely. I know every move you guys make before you make them. I know all your names, strengths, and weaknesses. And most importantly…" She smirked, her weapon pointed at him. "...how to defeat you."

Everything was dead silent for a moment before Luxord laughed. Sayomi frowned at the man's mocking chuckle. She gripped her weapon tighter, her guard heightened. The man stopped chuckling and raised his hand. "Then perhaps we should level out the playing field." He snapped his fingers, and Sayomi realized too late what he was doing.

"Sai!"

"Sayomi!"

The hooded girl snapped her head back and watched as cards spun around Ghostwing, Zack, and Cloud. "No!" She ran toward them, intent on cutting the cards, but they disappeared before she could, taking her companions with her. She skid to a stop, staring in horror at where they once stood.

"One-on-one. That seems fair," Luxord said, smirk still plastered on his face.

Sayomi turned to him, eyes narrowed under her hood, a faint golden glint catching Luxord's eye and causing his smirk to falter. "You… Where did you bring them?"

"If you defeat me, you'll find out."

She grit her teeth angrily and rushed forward, Keyblade in hand. This bastard was going to return her friends!

* * *

Zack and Cloud stared at the cards as they continued circling around them. They tried breaking them, but they seemed indestructible on this end. Finally, the cards seemed to disappear in a flash of light, revealing their new location.

Cloud took a few steps forward, looking around and studying their new environment while Zack kept himself from giving up his lunch from getting dizzy watching the spinning cards. They were in a distorted plane, with the sky and surrounding area covered in a dark mist with seemingly no end. The grass under them was the same dark color, and seemed as still as the wind. Cloud's eyes narrowed. ' _Sayomi, you'd better be okay.'_

A grumble came from behind him and he turned to see Ghostwing walking up to him. He seemed upset from being separated from his master, and decided to stand by the next best thing. Cloud placed a hand on Ghostwing's crest, making him croon. "Don't worry. She can handle herself." Though he said it to the dragon, he was also saying it for himself. From the looks of things, they were caught in a space only Luxord can control. If she can defeat him, then they would most likely return. He scowled to himself. He hated being so useless.

The sound of footsteps got the three's attention and they turned to another cloaked person. However, Cloud knew immediately that something was different. It was the look of their sleeves, which seemed much thinner than before, that tipped him off to this being a different person than Luxord.

"Who are you?" he asked, hearing Zack walk up to his other side, sickness momentarily forgotten.

The figure stopped and leaned forward slightly, placing a hand on his chin. After a moment, he stood straight again. "Now, is that any way to greet someone?" he asked, his tone clearly one of mock hurt. Cloud's eyes narrowed, as did Zack's. "Shouldn't you give out your name first?" the figure asked, gesturing to them. However, they said nothing.

Ghostwing growled at the man, moving his head forward and showing off his sharp fangs. Cloud glanced at the beast. Even Ghostwing knew something was off about that guy.

The figure raised their hands in defense. "Okay, okay, don't get so jumpy, fire-breath." That only caused Ghostwing to growl even louder. Cloud placed a hand on his front, silently telling him to back down. The dragon did so, though his glare never wavered.

"We don't give out names out so willingly to enemies. I'm sure that's something you can understand."

"Oh? But you told your girlfriend your names, so why should I be any different?" the man asked.

Cloud decided to look over the 'girlfriend' comment, focusing on something more important that he had said. "Because she's not our enemy."

"I beg to differ."

"What do you mean?" Zack asked, stepping forward with a glare. "Are you saying she's an enemy of ours? That's absurd!"

"Is it? You kiddies may think you know her, but let me tell you: you haven't even scratched the surface."

"Shut up," Cloud ordered, "Stop lying to us. You'll never get anywhere."

"Lying? As if. If anyone's lying it's your Keyblade friend. Think about it: do you really know everything there is to know about her? If you were really friends, wouldn't she tell you everything?"

Zack paused in thought, but Cloud was quick on his feet. "If she doesn't want to tell us, that's her choice. It's her past, not ours."

"But she knows _yours_." _That_ got Cloud to falter, which gave enough time for the mystery man to continue. "That nuisance knows more than she lets on. Things the average person wouldn't know. Call her psychic or special or whatever, but at the end of the day, she's someone who will use her power to get what she wants. After all, that's what happened to her other 'friends'."

"What?" Cloud's attention was grabbed at that. Her other friends? Does he mean the ones she went to go help all those years ago? "What do you mean?"

"Oh? So she never told you? Some friend she is, then," the man scoffed, shaking his head in shame. "I had the assumption you three were close-knitted. Inseparable."

"What do you know about her that we don't?" Zack asked, his tone hard but questioning. His eyes were narrowed at the man as he laughed.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you three in on something."

The area was quiet; deadly quiet. The four had a stare-down, one against three. However, in this moment, Cloud noted, even though they outmatched him in numbers, it felt as though he were winning.

"That girl you've been traveling with… she's the one responsible for the deaths of all three of her dear old friends."

It felt as though the world crumbled around them as Zack and Cloud stared wide-eyed at the man. That had to be false; fake. There was no way that could be true! She left to go _save_ her friends. She couldn't have been lying about that… right? Why would she lie to them about something like that? Is that what she's been hiding all this time? Doubt began to creep through Zack and Cloud's minds as they thought more and more on the subject. But even still, one question wasn't answered:

What was she hiding under the hood?

"Oh! The wheels are turning now!" the man exclaimed joyfully, as well as mockingly. Cloud glared at him.

"If you know so much about her, then what's under her hood?" Zack asked, still in disbelief.

The man hummed, crossing his arms. "Sorry, kiddo. The only one who knows what's under her hood is the boss himself. But I'm sure you'll figure it out in no time."

"Enough," Cloud whispered, but it was loud and clear in the man's ears. His frown replaced his smirk as he stared at the blonde, seeing the sword tense in his hands. "Everything you say is a lie. I know Sayomi-she'd never do something like that! She'd never kill her friends!" he yelled.

The figure and Zack were silent as they stared at Cloud. After a moment, Zack grunted in agreement and hardened his stare toward the hooded man. Ghostwing lifted himself up on his hind legs and screeched, spreading all four of his wings. The man took a step back, then scoffed.

"Alright then. Keep pretending to believe in your "friend". See how far it gets you."

A dark portal opened up and the man was gone, leaving the three in the distorted realm. But even with him gone, Zack and Cloud were still tense. The words spoken to them were haunting, scratching at the back of their minds. The two shared a glance before Zack put his sword away with a sigh.

"What should we do?" Zack asked. Despite being older, he knew Cloud would be able to think more clearly in a situation like this, though not by much. They were both close friends to Sayomi, with Cloud even more so. They were both deeply affected by the past few minutes.

"We keep this a secret from her. For now, anyway," Cloud suggested, "If he's telling the truth, she'll just deny it if asked."

"But he has to be lying! There's no way she'd-"

"Zack."

Zack stopped cold at Cloud's tone. After a moment he sighed and looked up at the sky. "Fine…"

"We'll keep an eye on her. I don't want to trust that man's words alone, but…" he trailed off, but they both knew what he meant. If she showed signs and proved that what was said was indeed true, then they had to deal with it accordingly. Cloud leaned against the dragon's side, earning a worried croon from said dragon. He placed a hand on his forehead, feeling the cool glove against his hot flesh. He wished for all that he was worth that he could believe in her 100%, but she was hiding a lot from them. Most of her journey, as well as the past ten years, were shrouded in mystery. Who knows what she could have done in that time? And her hood… what was she hiding under it? A scar? A disfigured face? It could be anything. He hated being in this situation, because he could not, in good conscience, call himself her best friend...if he continued to doubt her.

Ghostwing crooned next to him, nudging his arm. The two humans looked to him and saw the confusion in his own eyes. But there was also worry. Whether it was for them or Sayomi, or even both, they couldn't tell. Cloud gently pet his crest, unable to say anything to appease the worry without lying.

Suddenly, the world began to shift around them, setting them back on edge. The entire area seemed to crack from the center of the sky outward before smashing into pieces, revealing the area they were originally in: the forest. In front of them was Sayomi, Keyblade in hand, facing away from them and at Luxord, who was holding his abdomen in pain. Sayomi didn't seem to be faring that well either, as she was holding her right shoulder and seemed to be slouching and breathing heavily. She turned her head slightly and smiled.

Luxord saw that the others had returned and scowled, knowing he was defeated. He was too weak to keep them apart any longer, and they had returned. Seeing his opponent momentarily distracted, and seeing the turmoil for a brief moment in Zack's eyes, he decided to take his leave. He opened a portal behind him and walked in, the dark mass disappearing before Sayomi could do anything.

But she didn't care. She had whittled him down enough to free her friends, which was her main goal. She cast a quick curaga to heal her shoulder, dematerialized her Keyblade, and ran to her friends. She stopped in front of Cloud, sighing in relief. "I'm so happy you guys are okay…"

He didn't reply.

"Cloud?" she frowned, raising an eyebrow under her hood. "Hey, you okay? You guys aren't hurt, right?"

Zack smiled a bit at her. Though it was a little strained, he was able to hide it. "No, we're fine. What about you? You seemed to have taken quite a hit," he added, gesturing to her shoulder. She looked at it for a moment before looking at him with a smile.

"Nah, it was just a flesh wound. Nothing a curaga won't fix," she answered, waving it off. Ghostwing nudged her arm up before maneuvering his head under it so he could nuzzle against her. She chuckled, petting his crest and the back of his neck lovingly. "Well, I'm glad you're all alright. I'm sorry I wasn't able to react in time…" her smile faltered and she looked down. Ghostwing rumbled at her, looking up into her eyes. He blinked, then tilted his head in confusion, seeing something different than he remembered. Sayomi brushed her hand across his crest and gave him a small smile.

Zack stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at him. "Hey, no worries. We all got out of there safely. That's all that matters, right?"

"Right," she said, nodding.

"Cloud?" Zack looked at the blonde, who was still looking down. Sayomi frowned in the darkness of her hood, hoping he was alright. To her relief, he looked at her and Zack, nodding and giving a grunt of response.

"So, where to next, Captain?" Zack asked, getting her attention off the brooder. Sayomi looked down and thought.

' _We still have time before the big battle in Hollow Bastion… So we shouldn't go there yet. Disney Castle isn't up for debate. Going to the Pride Lands is risky since I don't know if I'd keep the hood. Most likely not, but I'm not going to take that risk. I'm not ready.'_

"We'll figure it out later. Let's get back to the ship," Cloud ordered, his voice much more edgy than before. He just wanted to get off this world. Sayomi frowned in confusion.

"Uh… right. Let's do that."

She only wished she knew what happened…


	11. Interlude Pt 2

To say Mickey was mad or annoyed would be an understatement. He was furious.

After ten years of searching, he finally found the one responsible for his friends' deaths/disappearance: Sayomi. He was going to capture her and bring her to Yen Sid so they could both decide what to do with her, but she faked him out before he even had the chance. When he woke up, he was alone and lying on a bench.

And to add more salt to that wound, his Star Shard was missing! Stolen! She must have taken it from him while he was unconscious. So he had to take the train back to the Mysterious Tower and inform Yen Sid of what happened.

And that's how he found himself in front of his old master, waiting for him to say something.

The old wizard's eyes were closed and he stroked his beard in thought. After a few minutes of silence, he opened his eyes and spoke, "This is indeed troubling. With the Star Shard in another's hands, we have no clue as to where it will take her. And it had been quite some time since she left, according to your story."

"But it makes no sense. We never got any word saying she was on that world, yet she appeared out of the blue! If she had another means of transportation, then why'd she take the Star Shard?"

"Perhaps she wished to throw you off-track," Yen Sid suggested, but Mickey only shook his head.

"But she _knew_ how the Star Shard worked- it would send me to a random location. It's possible we could've crossed paths at one point or another, but I don't think she'd go through all that trouble..."

"Maybe she would. After all, she knows what she did and how it has affected you," Yen Sid pointed out calmly. Mickey frowned at that, knowing he was right. Maybe she just wanted to avoid a confrontation, or at least delay it until she found it convenient for her. He couldn't let her do that. He had to find her quickly- especially since he got word that she was seen with two others.

He wasn't told who one of them was, but the other was definitely someone he knew; a man going by the name of Cloud. He remembered Sayomi telling him about how she'd met a boy by that name with spiky blonde hair and how close they had become within her short time of meeting him. He knew instantly that he had to find her. He couldn't let the incident from ten years ago repeat itself.

"Yen Sid, what do I do?" Mickey asked, desperation in his voice. The old wizard hummed in thought, stroking his beard.

"I believe it is time to call in your friend, Riku. He will be able to help you go between worlds."

Mickey's eyes widened. How could he have forgotten?! Of course Riku could help! He was one of Mickey's most trusted allies. With his abilities, he could find Sayomi in no time, as well as help Mickey to go between worlds, and could help keep an eye out for her. Unfortunately, there was still one problem that needed to be addressed:

"Master, how do we contact him?"

* * *

Namine, Axel, and Roman stood on the top of Sunset Hill. Axel and Roman were staring out to the sunset while Namine was sitting on the bench, drawing on her sketchbook. Roman, who was leaning on the railing, looked back to see what she was drawing. He raised an eyebrow. She was drawing the backs of four people, two girls and two boys from the looks of it. One was represented by blue, another by red, the third by brown, and the fourth by green. They were holding hands, and while the picture was just that, a drawing, he still felt something off about it. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he turned and placed a hand on the back of the bench. "What are you drawing?" he asked, startling the girl. Her head whipped toward him, her eyes wide, but she calmed down enough to explain.

"I'm drawing a group of friends." She looks down at the drawing and points to the girl represented by red. "This is the girl we're going to bring you to." Roman looked at it and raised an eyebrow.

"So, what's so special about her again?"

"She's a Keyblade wielder. Well, Keyblade Master is more like it," Axel answered for Namine, not looking at either of them, but a frown was on his face. "She's pretty powerful for her age."

"How old is she?"

"Technically, she's like… twenty-six?" he thought aloud, never having actually thought about it. "But physically, and a bit mentally, she's sixteen."

"I see…" Roman drawled out, slightly worried. He turned his attention back to the drawing. "What about the other three?" Axel looked at them through the corner of his eye, but looked away just as quickly.

Namine smiled sadly. "Those were her friends…"

"Were?"

"They disappeared ten years ago," Axel said darkly, "No one knows where they are, and one of their other friends thinks she killed them. She was the last person to see them, so it's a reasonable assumption." Roman was shocked.

"And you guys want me to travel with her?!" he asked incredulously.

"She's not as bad as they say," Namine stated gently, smiling up at him. "She's made a lot of mistakes, but she's trying to redeem herself. She just… doesn't know how to go through with it." Roman looked down in thought. "She's just lost and needs a little guidance."

"Since when do you know her so well?" Axel asked with a raised eyebrow. Namine looked at him.

"She and I met in Castle Oblivion. I could tell from the moment I first saw her that she was hurting. She didn't tell me much, but it was enough to get an idea of what she was going through."

Axel hummed. "I suppose you're right. She and I have been friends for years, and even then it took a lot of courage to tell me. As far as I know, I'm the only one she's told everything to. Her entire story, from beginning to end, no strings or lies attached." He sighed and looked away. "After what she's gone through I'm surprised she's still standing."

Roman took some time to let their words sink in. He understood when someone had a rough past, since Neo had a pretty tough one, and his wasn't too happy, either. But the way Axel and Namine are putting it, it's like she went through Hell and back, although she didn't come back in one piece. It only made his curiosity grow. What the hell happened to make her so secretive, enough so that she would hide almost every aspect of her life from her close friends? This girl was shrouded in mystery, and he wondered just how she managed to stay sane with all of this secrecy.

Namine's head whipped toward the trail up the hill, and the two boys followed her line of sight. A man in a black coat stood a few feet away, staring silently at them. He walked forward, stopping right in front of them. He seemed to stare at Namine for a minute before turning his attention to Axel, then finally to Roman. A wave of apprehensiveness washed over the orange-haired male as he seemed to lock eyes with the man. After a few tense moments of silence, Axel decided to speak.

"So, you've finally found us," he said the the cloaked person, "What now?"

"DiZ wants both you and Naminé gone."

Naminé clenched her sketchbook tightly, alerting Roman to how worried and afraid she was. "DiZ… wants to get rid of me?" He could hear her voice crack, and something inside him wanted to punch whoever this DiZ guy is in the face.

"So he sent you to do his dirty work. Typical of him," Axel scoffed. The man then once again turned his sights to Roman, who was getting a little creeped out.

"Could you stop staring at me? It's creepy…"

"Who are you?" the man's deep voice asked, prompting Naminé to stand and speak.

"He's a friend. His name is Roman, and he's one of us. Please, Riku, don't hurt him… and don't tell DiZ…" Naminé pleaded, surprising Roman. Not only did she consider him a friend, but she's actually _pleading_ for him not to get hurt or tell the guy who apparently already doesn't like her.

Riku looked at her silently, a little less surprised than Roman was, but surprised nonetheless. She was usually very shy and quiet, but she was adamant on letting this man escape unnoticed, as well. With a sigh, he inclined his head in a nod. "I won't."

Namine gave him a bright smile, something he didn't think she could do, being a Nobody. But she has been surprising, so he wouldn't question it for now. As of this moment, he simply turned away.

Axel raised his hand and created a dark corridor, turning to look at Roman and Namine. Roman seemed worried about stepping into the black portal, but with a gentle nudge from Namine, the man reluctantly walked in, followed by the young girl. Axel took one last look at Riku before turning and walking into the corridor, the portal vanishing quickly after.

* * *

Sayomi sat on her bed, leaning against the window as she looked out at the stars solemnly, watching them fly past her. Her eyes were soft and sad, seeming older than she looked. Her legs were brought to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, as if trying to find some sort of comfort.

All the others were asleep, including Ghostwing, who lay in a ball on the other side of the room, his chest moving up and down. The ship was dark and quiet, going on autopilot to their next destination.

Sayomi had her hood down, her long hair still up in its ponytail, the red locks falling down her back and resting slightly on the bed. Her heterochromic eyes peeked from underneath her bangs. After a minute, she unlatched one of her arms and reached it into her coat pocket. After fishing around for a moment she pulled out her star-shaped charm, looking down at the red glass with a mixture of sadness and disappointment as she stared at the reflection she saw of herself. She could feel a strange warmth coming from the charm, and she stroked it lightly with her index and middle finger of her other hand. She frowned, then smiled just a tiny bit as an idea came to mind. Everyone was asleep, so she wouldn't be disturbed.

"I'm sorry… I haven't talked to you in a while," she whispered to the item. She stroked it again when it flashed in response. She frowned. She couldn't hear him, and it hurt her. She knew, however, that he felt just as lonely as she did. "I'll cheer you up, alright? Just relax…" She stroked it with her thumb, as if brushing off some dirt, before she opened her mouth.

(("Ventus's Theme" (Kingdom Hearts) Original Lyrics by Lizz Robinett - ))

 _Sleep soundly safe in his heart_

 _You no longer have to face the evil in the dark_

 _Just rest your mind, and leave your pain behind_

 _Remember softly, of a time when the world was so bright_

She felt the warmth grow as she stroked the centerpiece in the charm, a broken smile forming on her lips.

 _You've fought so bravely, my dear_

 _And so you can rest, for now there's nothing left to fear_

 _Fighting onward, you dreamed unreachable things_

 _But now your dreams carry you to a place where these things come true_

A tear fell onto one of the glass pieces, surprising her. Her eyes shut tightly as she held the item closer.

 _I'll hold your hand while you sleep_

 _So don't be afraid, I won't let shadows touch your dreams_

 _Maybe in time, we'll leave this all behind_

 _We'll look up skyward, and the stars, they will shine in your eyes_

She choked up, her body shuddering as she tried not to cry, but a few more tears leaked out. The Wayfinder seemed to shine softly, and it comforted her slightly. She took a deep breath and continued to sing, stuttering and voice cracking as she did so.

 _Promise, you'll wake up in time_

 _When you awaken I will be there by your side_

 _There's a person, he'll fix the broken mistakes_

 _I'll find him and journey on, I will save you, whatever it takes_

A sob escaped her, unable to hold it in. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks despite her trying hard to keep them at bay. She had no right to cry. No right to feel sorry… None at all. But she couldn't do anything to stop it this time. The comforting warmth emitting from the charm, combined with her sorrow and grief and loneliness, was simply too much. I was as if...he _wanted_ her to cry it out. So, she did.

For the rest of that night, she got no sleep. All she did was sit there and cry.

And no one could comfort her.

* * *

That lullaby… it always comforted him. He didn't know why. After becoming trapped in this glass prison, the only thing he knew was loneliness. Sayomi would talk to him and make the pain and sadness lessen, but she suddenly stopped for a while. He didn't know how long it was, but when she came back, she was… sad. He didn't know how to explain it. It's as if she knew when and where she would die, yet was unable to do anything about it. No, he knew the perfect word for her.

Resignation.

She resigned to her fate. She may have reunited with her two Olympus friends and that dragon friend of hers, but he could tell she was just as lonely and sad as before, maybe even more so. How the others couldn't see it was beyond him. Either they were stupid and oblivious, or she was just good at hiding it outwardly. But he and her were connected, and he felt her pain just as much as she felt his. She was broken. And they both knew...she couldn't be fixed. The pain ran too deep, and was there for too long.

At first he hated her. He hated her so much. She was the one who locked him within the charm for eleven years. He had believed she was responsible for his pain, his sorrow, his darkness… and his emotions traveled into her own heart, hurting her for years. He supposed he was to blame for her broken state; partially, anyway.

But through the years, his anger started to fade. He just felt tired, sad, and lonely… But strangely, he felt a strong sense of guilt, and sorrow different from his own sadness. It wasn't until a while later that he realized those emotions were flowing from Sayomi's heart into his. She probably didn't realize this, and that was why she wasn't controlling it. It was like waves crashing onto him. It was then he decided to try and communicate with her.

It was hard, at first. She could barely hear him, but he could hear her clearly. The more he tried, the harder it got. As if a barrier was around her heart. After years of trying to reach her, he was finally able to get her attention. It was while they were in the realm of darkness. She was having a breakdown, struggling with the other half that continually tried to take her over. This time, however, it seemed to be stronger. She screamed and lashed out at seemingly nothing, but to her, it was as if another person were standing in front of her, tauntingly.

He tried to calm her down before she gave in. That was when she first felt the warmth radiating from the charm. She was surprised, but more so for the fact that he was awake and conscious. She admitted later that he was supposed to be comatose, but her spell hadn't finished before she was "taken over", which may explain it. More guilt washed over him then, as she realized how lonely and angry with her he must have been all that time, but he only sent another wave of warmth to her, which calmed her, and in turn calmed him.

After that, she decided to tell him everything. She told him why she did what she did; why she never told them her true origins or about what she knew. And as she explained more and more, he finally understood. Why she stuck to that path, why she kept the secrets, why she purposefully trapped herself inside the Realm of Darkness for all those years… and why she took that fateful hit for him, and changed everything.

" _I'm sorry… I never meant to hurt any of you. But I did… and I can never forgive myself. I don't deserve forgiveness… I don't deserve to feel sorrow or guilt for my actions… But I do, and I hate myself for it. I know what must be done. I'm sorry…"_

Unfortunately, he is unable to read her thoughts, so he doesn't know her plan. But he does know it's dangerous. What she didn't know, and would never know for a while due to the lack of communication, was that she _had_ been forgiven. For all these years, she has been protecting him, not imprisoning him. She has been knowingly keeping his darkness at bay by taking in the excess, creating more instability within her own body. She took the hit that could have _ended his own life_ , sacrificing her life even after he had yelled at her for being selfish. He was the one who should apologize, but knew she couldn't hear him. He hated hearing her mumble that word over and over in her head and in her voice.

" _I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Sorry… Sorry… Sorry…"_

It's only gotten worse. Since the "mystery girl" showed up and attacked them at Beast's Castle, it seemed as her burdens only grew and grew. She was making it harder than it needed to be, and she did it for the sake of the future. But… just how much weight can she carry on those shoulders?

He only hoped that small bit of warmth he gave to her was enough to comfort her pain.


End file.
